Author: Badalian Vardan

THE 2014 WAS A DIFFICULT YEAR FOR TURKEY – TURKOLOGIST

15:00 / 22.12.2014

The 2014 was a difficult year for Turkey, Turkologist Gevorg Petrosyan
told the reporters on Monday. He said five important events took
place there having direct or indirect impact on Armenia.

First of all the expert mentioned the April 24 message which was part
of their plan relating to the Armenian Genocide centennial.

“Continuing the policy of denial, with this message Turkey creates
an illusion that positive changes are taking place in their country,
the so-called new Turkey is being created. It is in case when this
is the continuation of the policy of denial,” he said.

The other important point, according to the expert, is the Islamic
State-Turkey relations. In June this year the Islamic forces
established Islamic State in Iraq which may be said has become a new
acting force in the Middle East. The expert said the two forces seem
to be enemies but in reality they are engaged in shadow cooperation.

Petrosyan said that another significant thing was the dispute between
Gulen associates and the ruling circles. The disputes started from
December last year and lasted throughout the year. The expert said
that Gulen associates are known with their anti-Armenian lobbying in
the USA.

The other thing that happened there were the blasts in mines which
claimed many lives. It became the reason of criticism addressed to
the government and the opposition forces directed their criticism
toward Erdogan.

The 2014 was also marked with the conduction of elections in Turkey.

In March municipal elections were held there with Erdogan’s party
wining with greater number of votes than previously. August has been
marked in Turkey with historic presidential elections. These were
the first ones when people were electing the president, previously
the president was elected by the parliament.

Nyut.am

EXPERT: ARMENIA IS ‘DOOMED’ TO COOPERATE WITH RUSSIA

14:27 22/12/2014 >> POLITICS

Armenia is ‘doomed’ to deepen its relations with Russia, Manvel
Ghumashyan, an analyst at European Integration NGO, told reporters
on Monday.

In his words, expansion of relations with Russia should be viewed in
the context of Armenia’s long-term strategic interests.

Commenting on Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
and different opinions about this process, Ghumashyan said that Russia
is certainly in a difficult economic situation now, but it would be
wrong if Armenia changed its political course solely for this reason.

The West-Russia conflict will end sooner or later, he noted, adding
that in this context the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks can be a bridge
between the West and Russia.

ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC LAWS SHOW PROGRESS – ECONOMISTS

11:54 * 22.12.14

Gagik Makaryan, Chairman of the Republican Union of Employers of
Armenia (RUEA), notes progress in Armenia’s business environment for
a number of reasons.

“The first positive change is the ‘one-window’ principle and simplified
laws. Besides, progress has been recorded due to reforms in supervisory
bodies,” Mr Makaryan told Tert.am as he commented on the Forbes Best
Countries for Business list, which ranks Armenia 56th.

With respect to business environment problems, Mr Makaryan said:

“One of the major problems is that, however hard the government tries
to reform laws, certain cases require more aggressive intervention,
without hopes for self-regulated market.”

Although in other states the government is supposed to ensure
favorable conditions, in Armenia such factors as black economy, unequal
conditions for competition and inspections, management quality and
personnel problems impede the process.

“I would like the government to pay more attention to such problems,”
Mr Makaryan said.

He points out the need for work with banks in simplifying loan terms,
– ensuring low-interest loans or subsidies.

“Unfair competition does not imply punishment of businessmen for
changing prices in certain cases.

Rather, it is unequal attitude by officials, inspections and local
government bodies. The situation needs improvement.”

The government should pay more attention to innovative research
centers, which would be more efficient in terms of management and
economic stability, technologies and export.

“Such companies will prefer transparent activities due to high
profits,” Mr Makaryan said.

According to him, Armenia’s incumbent government is more active,
especially Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan.

“Half of the ministers are passive, but the premier, although he is
not an economist, is taking practical steps. He does not waste time
and makes prompt decisions.”

Vice-Chairman of the Heritage party, economist Armen Martirosyan
believes that although the Forbes Best Countries for Business list
ranks Armenia 56th, it does not reflect the reality.

“I think any economic practice is evidence, and it shows quite a
different picture,” he said.

The latest developments are clear evidence that Armenia cannot be
said to have a favorable business environment.

“We see pressure on small and medium businesses year by year, with
their share decreasing, and a lack of large-scale investments in
Armenia,” Mr Martirosyan said.

With respect to international organizations’ assessments, he said:

“For advisability reasons they may make positive assessments, but
the real situation does not change.”

Only top-ranking officials own big businesses in Armenia, and they
are in the authorities’ hands.

“Market competition is out of the question here. Small and medium
businesses are unprotected, and, despite cheap labor forces,
large-scale investments are few in number in Armenia,” Mr Martirosyan
said.

“Some legal reforms may have been implemented, but the reality is
strikingly different from the official documents.”

Despite the fact that Armenia gets huge amounts to implement education
and health reforms, but the real situation is worsening in the country,
Mr Martirosyan concluded.

UN SOLDAT MORT AU FRONT HIER A L’EST DU HAUT KARABAGH

HAUT KARABAGH

Hier 21 decembre sur la ligne de contact a l’est de la Republique
du Haut Karabagh un jeune soldat armenien a trouve la mort, victime
d’un tir ennemi. La victime est le soldat David Koloyan (19 ans). Le
ministère de la Defense enquete sur les conditions dans lesquelles ce
militaire Armenien trouva la mort. Le ministère de la Defense de la
Republique du Haut Karabagh affirme dans un communique diffuse hier
soir >.

Krikor Amirzayan

lundi 22 decembre 2014, Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

Cinema Blend
Dec 21 2014

This Unexpected Comedy Star Will Play Robert Kardashian In The O.J.
Simpson Series

By Jessica Rawden

Ryan Murphy’s next small screen endeavor, following the famous O.J.
Simpson murder trial, is coming together much faster than we thought.
FX’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson has already cast
some unexpected actors in Sarah Paulson and Cuba Gooding, Jr, and this
week the show signed on a famous comedic actor to play Robert
Kardashian. Friends actor David Schwimmer has joined the show.

The first season of Ryan Murphy’s new anthology series will take place
during the famed O.J. Simpson trial and will be framed around the
courtroom, and will be told through the perspectives of the lawyers,
so David Schwimmer’s role should be a fairly large one in American
Crime Story. For those of you not in the know about Robert Kardashian,
he is the famous father of Kim, Kourtney and the gang, and he
befriended Simpson long before his friend was ever accused of
murdering his wife, Nicole Simpson Brown. Later, he was part of O.J.
Simpson’s extensive trial team. Last I checked, Schwimmer’s not
Armenian, but I don’t expect this to be a Exodus-level problem.

Surprisingly, the gig should prove to be Schwimmer’s largest TV role
since Friends ended its epic run back in 2004. In the time since, the
actor has appeared in movies, including John Carter and the Madagascar
franchise films. He’s also taken small TV roles, including appearances
on 30 Rock and Web Therapy–which stars his former Friends co-star
Lisa Kudrow. American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson should
give him a chance to really flex his acting muscles.

FX picked up American Crime Story to series back in October and has
been steadily moving forward since then. As noted prior, Cuba Gooding,
Jr. has joined the cast. He’s set to play O.J. Simpson himself, which
is about the strangest casting I could imagine, although I don’t know
who else would fit the bill. Then Paulson is signed on to play
prosecutor Marcia Clark.

The anthology series will be comprised of 10 episodes and while FX
hasn’t announced an official date for the series yet, per Deadline,
with casting well underway, we should be seeing the new drama sooner
rather than later.

It’s hard to tell whether or not another anthology series will work
out for Ryan Murphy, but he’s been working hard to make the anthology
series a more regular thing. Murphy also has an anthology series
called Scream Queens set to hit the schedule in the fall of 2015 over
at Fox. We’ll keep you posted as the prolific producer’s latest shows
move forward.

Armenia ends the year with robbery – Levon Shirinyan

13:00 / 20.12.2014

The year in Armenia ended with robbery, political analyst Levon
Shirinyan told the reporters on Saturday.

“If we were a normal state we would have created a commission to found
out the objective causes of USD-AMD exchange fluctuations and the
speculative part in it,” he stressed.

“Look how Georgian currency was kept in Georgia while our state did
not do anything. Why have the Georgians succeeded in it? Because they
have improved their state and today are seeking to create a state with
European standards. They succeed in it and this is in case when we can
say that about ten years ago there was no state there,” the political
analyst stressed.

Shirinyan said that the Chinese experience must be used: during Mao
Zedong rule, after the trial over the cheaters, their crimes were
presented on boards and the guilty person was being taken on truck
from one part of the city to the other for everyone to see him.
According to Shirinyan it should be applied in Armenia as this country
will not normalize in any other way.

Nyut.am

The Armenians of Singapore

By Ric Gazarian on December 18, 2014

Singapore is an incredibly successful country on the southern tip of
Malaysia. More than 5 million people are packed into this compact
area. It is a veritable smorgasbord of ethnicities, languages, and
religions. For instance, Singapore recognizes four languages: English,
Malay, Tamil, and Mandarin. While 75 percent of the population is
Chinese, with the remainder being mostly Malay and Indian,
surprisingly a small Armenian community played an outsized role in
this city-state. Singapore is the model of a successful free market
economy, rated in 2013 as the second freest economy. It has a per
capita income that ranks third in the world. To put that in
perspective, one out of six citizens has a net worth of over a million
dollars even while excluding property!

Marina Bay Sands, an iconic new addition to the Singapore skyline, is
the most expensive building in the world at close to $5 billion. It
was premiered in 2010, and 3 towers that comprise the complex stand at
55 floors with a platform known as the Sands SkyPark on top connecting
the three towers. The Sands SkyPark includes an observation deck,
restaurant, and an infinity pool (guests only!). The complex, which
sits on reclaimed land, has more than 2,500 rooms and a casino.
Remember to double down!

Marina Bay Sands

The view from Marina Bay Sands

Adjacent to the Marina Bay Sands is Gardens By The Bay, which was
created in 2012. Over 200 acres of green space are packed in the
middle of the dense city-state of Singapore. Two giant greenhouses
rise into the sky. The first is the Flower Dome, which is a giant,
enclosed three-acre space containing seven unique gardens. The second
is the Cloud Forest, which showcases a 115-foot tropical waterfall. As
I strolled though the greenhouses, I spied the Sands SkyPark in the
distance. I felt like I was in the flotilla in Battlestar Galactica,
looking at a passing spaceship the SS SkyPark. The highlight of the
garden is the Supertree Grove, a series of “trees” that rise to
heights of 160 feet. At night these trees are lit up, and twice during
the evening there is a light and music show.

Gardens By The Bay

A very dark period in Singapore history is the Japanese occupation
during World War II. Singapore was a British colony at the time, and
the British were quickly routed by the Japanese. Upon occupation,
3,000 civilians were marched directly from the city to Changi Prison.
The prison was meant to hold 600 criminals, but the Japanese managed
to squeeze in 5 times more including children. Nearby the prison,
50,000 POWs, mostly British and Australian, were held. Today, a museum
memorializes these victims and survivors, and includes a replica of a
chapel that was built by the POWs in 1944 using rudimentary tools.

The Changi Prison Chapel

Singapore is a great city to walk and explore. If need be, simply jump
on the MRT, its unbelievably efficient and expansive subway system.
One fun neighborhood to get lost in is Chinatown. A new addition to
the skyline is the 2007 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The four-story
temple is said to host a tooth of Buddha Shakyamuni. This vibrant and
colorful temple is well worth the visit.

The 2007 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

A special place to visit is the oldest remaining church in Singapore.
This modest, white church was consecrated in 1836. The church happens
to be the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator
located on Armenian Street. It was established for the benefit of a
small Armenian community, which at its height in the 1880’s reached
approximately 100 families. Armenians had established a preliminary
foothold in Asia, including in India, Burma, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
They played influential roles as traders and merchants in the region.
The last Armenian parish priest left in the 1930’s. By the 1950’s,
most of the Armenian community had slipped away, many immigrating to
Australia. Today, the church is a national monument.

The grounds of the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator

The Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator located
on Armenian Street

On the grounds of the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator

Despite representing a small fraction of the Singapore community, the
Armenians played a significant role in Singapore. In 1845, Catchick
Movessian co-founded the Singapore Straits Times. Today, this paper is
the highest-selling paper in Singapore. A quartet of brothers from
Isfahan, Iran, also made an impact. The Sarkies brothers over a
45-year period founded or managed 6 hotels in Southeast Asia. Their
properties were considered the most prestigious hotels in the region.
Most well known is the legendary Raffles Hotel founded in 1887 in
Singapore. While rates start at $500, you might consider quaffing a
Singapore Sling at the Long Bar. Both the drink and the bar are iconic
landmarks in Singapore. Agnes Joaquim, a horticulture enthusiast,
unveiled her flower at a competition there, and won the $12 prize in
1899. The Vanda Miss Joaquim was later designated Singapore’s national
flower.

The Raffles Hotel (Photo by Richard Moross/Creative Commons)

The Vanda Miss Joaquim (photo by AJ Cann/Creative Commons)

So, as you stroll down the streets of the ultra-modern metropolis,
remember the impact this small community of Armenians had on this
nation-state.

Find out more about Ric’s work and travels here.

Armenia’s Defense Minister to attend CSTO session of the Council of
Defense Ministers

15:21, 20 Dec 2014

The delegation, headed by the Defense Minister of the Republic of
Armenia, Seyran Ohanyan, will leave for Moscow to attend the session
of the CSTO Council of Defense Ministers to be held on December 22. As
informed by the Department for Mass Media and Public Relations of the
Defense Ministry, within the framework of the session Seyran Ohanyan
will meet with the Minister of Defense of Belarus Andrei Ravkov,
during the heads of the two governments will approve bilateral
cooperation plan for 2015 between Armenia and Belarus.

More than 110 Armenian children were born in Aleppo this year

11:04, 20 December, 2014

YEREVAN, 20 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. Ahead of the New Year,
representatives of the Armenian community of Aleppo gathered and
celebrated the New Year. At the vestibule of the St. Mary Church,
leader of the Armenian Diocese of Aleppo, His Grace, Archbishop Shahan
Sarkisian congratulated the 110 Armenian children born in Aleppo this
year and their parents by giving them special gifts, as Gandzasar
Weekly of Aleppo reports to “ArmenPress”, His Holiness emphasized that
they will overcome the difficulties facing the country by joining
hands and supporting each other.

Separate ministry should be established in Armenia for general
education schools – Ashotyan

YEREVAN, December 20./ARKA/. Armen Ashotyan, Armenian education
minister, finds it necessary to establish a separate ministry for
general education schools.

Asked Saturday at a news conference why schools in Armenia’s provinces
are under the supervision of provincial authorities, he said that the
ministry has no sufficient resources for solving problems of all the
schools in the country’s territory.

«The number of general education schools in Armenia has significantly
grown over several years, while the number of the ministry’s staffers
rose only by 20%,» he said. «A new ministry of general educаtion
should be established.» Ashotyan also pointed out complexity of school
manuals as another problem related to schools.

He said that although quality of Armenian school textbooks has been
upgraded, they are still quite complicated and not always
understandable.

Summarizing the results of the ministry’s activity in 2014, he said
thousands of Armenian teachers retrained this year.

According to the education law, Armenia has 1,388 general education
schools, of which 10 are elementary, 150 eight-year schools and 1,228
are secondary schools. Some 115 of the country’s high schools have
status of lyceum. –0—–