Author: Badalian Vardan

SERZH SARGSYAN: ARMENIA INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE AGENDA WITH URUGUAY

16:47 10/07/2014 >> POLITICS

During his state visit to Uruguay, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
met with Uruguayan President Jose Mujica on July 9. The two presidents
discussed a wide range of issues concerning interstate links and
cooperation development, the Armenian President’s press service
reports.

Serzh Sargsyan said Armenia is interested in developing a comprehensive
agenda with Uruguay in politics, trade, economy and culture. The sides
indicated the importance of the legal and contractual framework’s
expansion.

The Presidents said the Armenian Diaspora of Uruguay makes its
contribution to the development of bilateral relations, while the
positions of the two countries on issues of universal significance
are in keeping with each other, and the fact that Uruguay was the
first country in the world to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1965
bears evidence of it.

At the conclusion of the meeting, agreements between the two
governments on economic cooperation and on visa-free travel, as well
as a frame agreement on cooperation were signed. An agreement on
cooperation in sports was signed between Armenian ministry of sport
and youth affairs and Uruguayan ministry of tourism and sports.

Prior to his meeting with Jose Mujica, the Armenian President went
to Independence Square in Montevideo and laid a wreath at the Statue
of General Jose Artigas.

KARABAKH PRESIDENT VISITS UNION OF RELATIVES OF MISSING FREEDOM FIGHTERS

17:00 10/07/2014 >> SOCIETY

On July 10, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic President Bako Sahakyan
visited the NKR Union of Relatives of Missing Freedom Fighters. He
met with members of the organization, inspected its activities and
familiarized himself with the existing problems.

Bako Sahakyan rated high the Union’s patriotic activity, noting its
importance for upbringing the younger generation and keeping alive
memory of the missing freedom fighters, the press service of the
Artsakh Republic President reports.

Source: Panorama.am

TURKEY HAS LIED FOR 99 YEARS – ARMENIA MFA

July 10, 2014 | 00:26

Turkey is to blame for the failure to advance in the normalization
of ties with Armenia because the government of Recep Erdogan demands
“impossible” pre-conditions, the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian told the Buenos Aires Herald during a visit to the Argentine
capital city.

“Our president attempted to normalize relations between our two
countries. We agreed on two protocols to normalize our relations,
including the establishment of diplomatic relations. Unfortunately,
after the signing ceremony — which took place in Zurich in October,
2009 — the Turkish Parliament hasn’t been able to ratify and implement
agreements and Turkey is now coming up with new pre-conditions,”
Nalbandian said.

Nalbandian is part of the delegation that accompanied Armenia
President Serzh Sargsyan to Argentina, where the two participated in
the inauguration of the Museum of Armenian Genocide, the first of its
kind outside Armenian borders. According to Nalbandian, the opening
of the museum “is a very important step and we appreciated it very
much, as well as the recognition of the genocide (by the Argentine
government) through a special law.”

Why is it so important for Armenians that the international community
acknowledges the genocide? “It was the first genocide of the 20th
century. And unfortunately, the fact that it was not recognized by
the international community at the time made it possible for other
genocides to take place. So we feel a responsibility as a people
who suffered the first genocide in the 20th century not to allow new
crimes against humanity in the future,” Nalbandian responded.

Regarding Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the scale of the killings,
the Foreign Minister said that “it has less to do with the reparations
that the Turkish state would have to pay to Armenian families (of
victims), than with the fact that it is difficult to look at your
own people in the eye and say: ‘we’ve been lying to you for 99 years.'”

Armenians around the world will commemorate the 100th anniversary of
the massacre next year and Nalbandian said he was confident “that
many countries in the world will express their solidarity to the
Armenian people.”

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

MENINGITIS OUTBREAK: AUTHORITIES DENY EPIDEMIC, SOME KINDERGARTENS CLOSE DOORS FOR QUARANTINE

HEALTH | 10.07.14 | 11:12

Photolure

By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

While the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Yerevan insist
that there is no meningitis epidemic in the city, at some kindergartens
parents have been told that they are in quarantine.

Simultaneously, there seem to be lots of patients with serous
meningitis in hospitals.

According to the data of the Ministry of Health, 90 cases of
enterovirus meningitis have already been registered this year, which
is by 30 cases more than the figure for last year.

“Our attention was drawn to the fact that there is some activation,
though we haven’t had cases of groups being affected by the disease.

The causes of the disease among all patients are different,” head of
the Health Ministry’s National Immunization Program Gayane Sahakyan
told reporters on Wednesday.

She said that for prevention of the spread of the disease disinfection
measures have been taken in pre-school establishments, vigilance at
hospitals has been increased.

According to Sahakyan, the symptoms of the disease are immediately
developed high fever and unbearable headache. “We can say that the
rate of disease has started to lower, as at the peak we had 5-6 cases
per day, now it decreased to 3-4.”

“It is acute serous meningitis, its incubation lasts up to 10 days,
but it can be treated quickly, a patient recovers within 2-3 days,
it is not treated with antibiotics, mainly lots of fluids are used,”
she added.

The Health Ministry official said that if two suspicious cases are
revealed in the same kindergarten, inspections are conducted there:
“In the kindergartens where the infection was registered, disinfection
measures are being taken, where no cases have been revealed, routine
measures are in place.”

Kindergartens are divided into two groups: in some they deny the
spread of meningitis, in others they urge the parents to keep their
children at home.

“We have no such instructions, nothing like that. Attendance is as
usual,” Katya Baghdasaryan, a manager at Yerevan’s kindergarten N71,
told ArmeniaNow. “Groups have been reduced because we have sent some
of the children to school, some of our teachers are on vacation, but
in September new children will join the groups. We have received no
statement from the Ministry.”

Meanwhile, a nurse at one of the groups in kindergarten No. 2 told
the parents that they are having a 10-day quarantine and that the
kids should stay at home.

“I don’t understand why they make all parents to keep their children
at home? Let only the sick children stay at home as working parents
do not know what to do,” one of the parents told ArmeniaNow.

Meanwhile, the Yerevan municipality says that there is no risk of
the virus spread.

“Attendance at educational institutions working under the jurisdiction
of municipal authorities is normal, the number of absentees is within
the norm, there is no need for interference. Why cause additional
panic?” deputy head of the Municipality’s Information Department
Artur Sarukhanyan told ArmeniaNow.

Two days ago, talking to 168.am, chief infectionist of the Armenian
Health Ministry, director of the Nork infection clinical hospital Ara
Asoyan said that the spread of enterovirus disease has intensified
across the region – in Russia, Georgia and Armenia.

“This is a unique virus on which, as a specialist, I myself have a
lot of questions. I have worked in infection hospitals for more than
30 years, but I don’t remember such an epidemic. I don’t remember
any enterovirus causing meningitis,” Asoyan said.

METHODS AND GOALS OF ANTI-RUSSIAN MEDIA IN ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 9 2014

9 July 2014 – 6:47pm

David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

It’s no secret that the Armenian media space contains pro-Western,
anti-Russian mass media. There are two ways to spread anti-Russian
information, and the aforementioned media are divided into two
categories. The first category includes the mass media which openly,
strictly and even thoughtlessly criticize all things connected with
Russia. That is why they are not taken seriously even in Armenia, and
their work is like a proverb – the dog’s barking is for the wind to
carry. The second category of the mass media treats its mission more
seriously and is very dangerous. In such media projects, criticism
of Russia is added to criticism of the native government, criminal
stories and the gutter press. If we exclude the gutter press aspect,
the Armenian radio “Freedom” belongs to the second category.

The Armenian media – Azatutyun – is financed directly, but
unofficially, by the American embassy in Armenia. And the consequences
are clear. The edition works solidly, steps are highly coordinated, and
information is well-thought through. Almost all the correspondents of
“Freedom” go to various conferences on one and the same day and ask
one and the same question. Usually the question touches on Russia’s
activities or reaction to a certain problem which often has nothing
in common with Armenia. It means the edition fulfills a clear plan
which hasn’t been developed by it. “Freedom” floods the Armenian media
space with false information to promote an atmosphere of mistrust of
Russia and all its projects in the region.

After Serge Sargsyan’s statement on intention to join the Eurasian
projects of Moscow, the activity of the aforementioned media had
improved. Most of the anti-Russian articles and reports are absurd.

For example, the authors state that a possible Armenian-Azerbaijani
military conflict will be beneficial for Russia. Information on
Moscow’s plans to “give away Karabakh” can be seen in publications
of the mass media in the last 20 years. In January 2014 there was
information that a group came from Russia and jabbed residents of
Yerevan with HIV-contaminated syringes. “We don’t comment on rubbish,”
the police of Armenia told Vestnik Kavkaza.

Now the radio is very concerned about the situation surrounding
the status of the Armenian language and violations of the country’s
Language Law. Among such violations, according to Freedom radio, is
the fact that a number of Russian-language international conferences
are being held in Armenia. According to the law, all public events
should be held with simultaneous translation into Armenian. The radio
station’s official website is now full of anti-Russian comments
concerning this topic provided by various experts. The same is
happening on air.

The radio has also paid special attention to the Rossiya Segodnya’s
chief executive Dmitry Kiselyov’s remarks made in the Armenian
parliament. Kiselyov and Armenian lawmakers who were taking part in
the event, are still being stigmatized and accused of all possible
and impossible transgressions. This also promotes an atmosphere of
distrust and fear.

The last event, which caused an immediate reaction in the pro-Western
media, was the Armenian president’s visit to Georgia. It’s quite
clear that the massive Russian Railways’ project launched in the
region is unfavorable to the United States. That is why such media
could not hide their delight when the president failed to reach an
agreement with the Georgian authorities. According to such authors,
there is now no chance that the railway connection between Georgia
and Abkhazia can be resumed since Georgia agreed to join the European
customs space. It seems like no comment is necessary.

PRESIDENTE DE ARMENIA ESTRECHA VINCULOS Y COOPERACION CON URUGUAY

Telemetro
9 Julio 2014

El presidente de Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan se reunio el miercoles en
Montevideo con su par uruguayo, Jose Mujica, con el fin de fortalecer
la relacion bilateral entre ambos países, informo la Secretaría de
Comunicacion de la Presidencia.

Ademas de su encuentro con Mujica, Sargsyan se reunio con
representantes del Poder Legislativo, Judicial e integrantes de la
nutrida comunidad armenia que vive en el país sudamericano.

“Ambos mandatarios firmaron una declaracion conjunta, en la cual
reafirman el alto nivel de las relaciones bilaterales y la estrecha
cooperacion basada en la amistad recíproca”, señala la nota de prensa
de Presidencia.

Tambien se firmaron acuerdos en materia deportiva y economica, agrega
la misiva.

Sargsyan arribo el martes de Buenos Aires, donde fue recibido por el
vicepresidente argentino Amado Boudou, y partira el jueves a Chile
donde cerrara su gira por el Cono Sur.

Uruguay fue el primer país en el mundo en reconocer el genocidio
armenio mediante una ley aprobada en 1965.

Armenia sostiene que hasta 1,5 millones de ciudadanos fueron
asesinados durante la Primera Guerra Mundial (1914-1918). Turquía
considera que entre 300.000 y 500.000 armenios y al menos la misma
cantidad de turcos murieron cuando los armenios se levantaron contra
las autoridades otomanas.

LA PLAZA “PALERMO VIEJO” YA ES “INMIGRANTES DE ARMENIA”, UBICADA EN LAS CALLES ARMENIA, COSTA RICA, NICARAGUA Y MALABIA.

Palermo Online, Argentina
9 Julio 2014

PalermOnLine Noticias. Ciudad de Buenos Aires 9 julio, 2014 Editado
por Palermonline

El Vicepresidente 1º de la Legislatura de la Ciudad, Cristian Ritondo,
presidio hoy el acto de cambio de nombre de la plaza “Palermo Viejo”,
ubicada en las calles Armenia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua y Malabia,
que paso a llamarse plaza “Inmigrantes de Armenia”. La iniciativa
fue aprobada por unanimidad en el Palacio legislativo.

Al respecto, Ritondo manifesto “una profunda felicidad por tener
la oportunidad de reconocer a un pueblo que tanto identifica a este
barrio y que mancomuna la identidad y virtuosidad de ambos pueblos.

Vale resaltar que la relacion bilateral entre la República de Armenia
y la República Argentina es tan antigua como fecunda y que lo mismo
ocurre con la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, donde esta querida comunidad
desarrolla numerosas actividades en el campo de la educacion y la
cultura”.

“Es para nosotros un honor y un privilegio contar en esta ocasion
tan especial con la autoridad maxima de la Nacion homenajeada,
el Señor Presidente de la República de Armenia, Serzh Sargsianm,
a quien ademas distinguimos hoy como Visitante Ilustre de la Ciudad
Autonoma de Buenos Aires”, finalizo Ritondo.

Tambien participo del acto la diputada de la Ciudad, Lía Rueda
(PRO), quien es autora del proyecto para declarar Visitante Ilustre
al Presidente de la República de Armenia, y que señalo “es un honor
hacer entrega de esta distincion, que se suma a la entrega de la
llave de la Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires por parte del Jefe de
Gobierno, Mauricio Macri. Valoramos el aporte de la comunidad armenia
en cuanto a educacion y cultura, así como el vínculo historico entre
ambas naciones”.

Por su parte, y luego del reconocimiento, el Presidente de la
República de Armenia, Serzh Sargsianm, destaco “queridos compatriotas,
estoy muy agradecido a las autoridades presentes, que han expresado
respeto y consideracion a mi pueblo. Para nosotros, la generocidad
argentina permitio a mi pueblo rehacer sus vidas en los momentos
mas dificiles. Solo los pueblos fuertes como el de Argentina adoptan
estas actitudes de grandeza”.

La plaza ya era llamada coloquialmente “Plaza Armenia”, por la fuerte
presencia de la comunidad en esa zona. El nombre “Inmigrantes de
Armenia” hace referencia a los refugiados armenios que llegaron a
comienzos del siglo XX escapandose del genocidio cometido por el
Estado turco entre 1915 y 1923.

Estuvieron presentes en el acto el Subsecretario de Derechos Humanos
Pluralismo Cultural, Lic. Claudio Avruj, la Ministra de la Diaspora,
Hranush Hakobyan, el Presidente de la Comuna 14, Maximiliano Corach
y el presidente del Club Deportivo Armenio, Noray Nakis. Tambien los
diputados de la Ciudad, Carmen Polledo, Daniel Presti, Juan Pablo
Arenaza, Gabriela Seijo (PRO), Virginia Gonzalez Gass (Socialista
Autentico) y Edgardo Form (Nuevo Encuentro). Ademas, miembros de la
Union General Armenia de Beneficencia (UGAB), entre otros.

‘US ALLIES BEGIN TO QUESTION VALUE OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH WASHINGTON’

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

10:00 09/07/2014 >> COMMENTS

The alliance of countries that have lock-stepped and marched behind the
US for so long is falling apart now, and the situation with US spying
on Germany only confirms this trend,Caleb Maupin from International
Action Center told RT.

RT: How is the German government going to react to this latest scandal
do you think? What’s the fallout going to look like?

Caleb Maupin: Since of the end of the WWII there has been an
understanding between the Western countries, this sort of alliance so
to speak, but now, in the time of a global financial crisis, we are
seeing that alliance is essentially falling apart in the struggle to
control markets.

We are seeing the US alienated itself from so many its former allies.

And the reality is that German banks are drawing source of competition
to Wall Street, so there could be break coming. What is the most
interesting about this is the growing relationship between Germany
and China. China is at the center of the global alliance of countries
that are really breaking out of Wall Street’s financial hold
and developing independently along with Russia, Venezuela, Iran and
other countries. So we are seeing a real division within the Western
European powers and the US. It is a shocking trend.

RT: Why does the US feel it needs to spy on its close ally?

CM: It shows a growing level of insecurity among the leading officials
in the US. They do not seem to really trust their allies.

They seem to suspect that they are maybe discontent. And the reality
is, with so many leaks that we have recently seen, so many countries
that have historically worked with the US are starting to wake up and
say, “Hey, what are we getting out of this relationship?”
That seems to be something that is happening in so many countries,
whether it is the tapes released recently in Poland, or some of the
memos that are coming out, everywhere it is happening that long-time
allies of the US are beginning to question what they are really getting
out of this relationship. And that is something that I am sure Obama
and many others are very concerned about because it is a real threat
to the US power.

For so long, especially since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the
geopolitics has really been defined by the US being a senior of the
world’s economy and getting exactly what it wants. But that is
changing. The geopolitical stage is drastically changing, and this is
a real threat to Wall Street and their control of the markets. The
fact that Germany is getting closer to China, and Russia and China
are cooperating with each other – this is a really big game-changer
in the field of global politics.

RT: We’ve seen the US was caught out just months ago spying on
Chancellor Merkel’s phone. How could this steady trickle of allegations
affect German and US relations? Are they going to deteriorate?

CM: I think they will. The thing at the root of that deterioration is
the fact that German banks are rising as the source of competition
with Wall Street banks and the US. But we have seen a clear lack of
respect and that has been communicated. Diplomacy is often a language
of officials speaking very politely and shaking hands, while behind
the scenes there is a real distrust and a real disrespect and the
fact that the NSA is spying.

In the backroom there is a real tension between the US and its
allies. That is the reality. And the countries that have lock-stepped
and marched behind the US for so long, and this king of global
alliance of countries that a kind of obey the US – that is coming
apart and we are seeing that, it is falling apart. The fact that the
US is getting so desperate in its financial times is maybe the source
of that division.

VILLAGERS BLOCK ARMENIA PM’S ROAD

July 09, 2014 | 11:44

The residents of Nor Kyank and Vardakar villages of Armenia’s Shirak
Region on Wednesday blocked Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan’s road
and demanded that he hear their complaints.

The villagers informed Abrahamyan about their wheat and potato crops
which were completely devastated as a result of Monday’s hailstorm,
the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter informed from location.

Vardakar prefect Galust Avetisyan also told the PM that even though
President Serzh Sargsyan had promised them that a school will be
built in their village, this promise is not fulfilled to this day.

The Premier promised to discuss this matter with the governor of the
Shirak Region and resolve this issue.

Hovik Abrahamyan is paying a working visit to Shirak Region on
Wednesday.

NO REASON TO COMPLAIN ABOUT PUBLIC BEACHES, SAYS CONSUMERS’ UNION CHIEF

10:33 * 09.07.14

The chief of Armenia’s Union of Consumers says he does not see
a special reason to complain about the quality of services in the
public beaches of Lake Sevan.

Speaking to Tert.am, Armen Poghosyan pointed out only to the
overcrowding problem, which he said is caused by low service costs.

“Where the prices are cheap, we see many people gathered,” he noted.

Eleven public beaches surrounding Sevan opened last Tuesday. According
to Armenia’s Ministry of Nature Protection, they host daily over
11,000 people, offering them free parking, playgrounds (for children),
bathroom units and other services.

Asked about any inconveniences and problems, Poghosyan said they
now have more public beaches instead of the former two. As for the
services’ quality, he stressed the importance of conducting regular
cleaning activities.

The paid beaches, Poghosyan said, keep the road closed from the street,
charging money for entrance and any other service (pavilions, night
lodging etc).

“That costs more than if you decide to go to Antalya [Turkey],”
he noted.

To know what benefits the high costs give to neighboring villages,
Tert.am later also to several community governors.

The mayor of the coastal village Lchap (Gegharkunik region), Hayk
Simonyan, said their population is not busy at all in the summer
season. “We are fully on the Lake coast, but the area is a free zone,
with people coming, swimming, sitting, eating and leaving later,”
he said.

The residents of Lchap do not offer any services to holiday-makers,
as agriculture appears to be their only business, the village’s
mayor added.

The mayor of Chkalovka, another coastal village in Gegharkunik, said
the holiday season is a good chance for their villagers to earn a
little bit.

“One offers a boat, while another is hired as a cleaner in the coastal
area,” Yervand Karapetyan told our correspondent, noting that villagers
also sell agricultural produce to summer residents.

He added that about 10% of the Chkalovka’s population is hired for
different jobs in the summer period.

The Mayor of Sarukhyan, a village situated 25 km far from the lake,
said their population does not work in either public or paid beaches
in summer.

The Ministry of Nature Protection had earlier issued a statement
unveiling plans to increase the number of public beaches.