‘US Allies Begin To Question Value Of Relationships With Washington’

‘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.

http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2014/07/09/caleb-maupin/

Villagers Block Armenia PM’s Road

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.

http://news.am/eng/news/218293.html

No Reason To Complain About Public Beaches, Says Consumers’ Union Ch

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.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/07/09/loghap/

Genocide Issue Pressing Task For All Armenians – Expert

GENOCIDE ISSUE PRESSING TASK FOR ALL ARMENIANS – EXPERT

12:04 * 09.07.14

The recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide and the
subsequent demands for reparation are a pressing issue for the entire
nation, according to a Turkologist.

Speaking to the state news agency Armenpress, Director of the National
Academy’s Institute of Oriental Studies Ruben Safrastyan said he
stresses the importance of serious pan-national efforts that need to
be coordinated by the Republic of Armenia.

“It will require the efforts of all Armenians, as we are dealing with
a state which does not recognize the Genocide and falsifies the fact.

And there is no sign it will ever recognize it. Turkey is a powerful
state which has its positions in Middle East, so that will be
difficult for us; but we must pass that path. It is our obligation
to the millions of victims,” he noted.

Safrastyan said he thinks that the Armenians have to count only on
themselves in the run-up to the 100th anniversary of the tragic events.

“We, Armenia, and the Diaspora have to work with concerted efforts in
different directions to attract the world’s attention to this problem.

[It is important for us] to not only raise the world’s awareness –
given that many even do not know about the Armenian Genocide – but also
be able to make our demands stronger,” he said, calling for efforts
to rely on strongly justified facts instead of general wordings.

Safrastyan, who is not a member of the commission coordinating the
Genocide centennial events, said he nonetheless sees certain steps
being made in that direction.

“The Armenians, of course, worked for decades before, and they keep
working now, so the results remain to be seen,” he said, considering
the difference in approaches normal. “There are people who take an
emotional stand, and there are others who rely on a cool judgment. My
general opinion is that the Armenians have to pursue one demand:
condemnation and [reparation] claims.

Safrastyan said it is important to understand international law
well enough to know the possible benefits. “In terms of political
science, it is necessary to get prepared, analyzing the international
situation to grasp the appropriate moment of making our demands. We
must study Turkey to see possible options. We must further be prepared
historically too. Should we be offered a chance to raise a problem
and make demands to Turkey, we must be able to understand what we
demand and what losses we suffered,” he added.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/07/09/Ruben-safrastyan1/

Le Gouvernement Revoit A La Hausse Le Taux De Croissance

LE GOUVERNEMENT REVOIT A LA HAUSSE LE TAUX DE CROISSANCE

ECONOMIE

Le gouvernement armenien a officiellement revu sa prevision de
croissance economique pour 2014 en l’amenant de 4 a 5%.

Le gouvernement a effectue cette nouvelle projection de croissance
dans un programme de depenses a mi-parcours qui a ete devoile par
le premier ministre Hovik Abrahamian lors d’une reunion de cabinet
la semaine dernière. > a-t-il dit.

Le document prevoit que la croissance economique de l’Armenie atteindra
les 5% l’an prochain et les 5,3 pour cent en 2016. Elle a ete devoilee
moins de deux mois après que le parlement armenien a approuve, lors
d’un vote de confiance, un plan d’action de trois ans presente par
le nouveau gouvernement d’Abrahamian. Il a estime que la croissance
economique dans le pays serait en moyenne de 5 pour cent par an.

Toutefois le Fonds monetaire international avait lance en avril une
mise en garde sur le fait que l’economie armenienne n’augmentera que de
4,3 pour cent cette annee. Teresa Daban Sanchez, representant du FMI
a Erevan, a declare le 23 mai que le fonds etait en train de reviser
cet objectif a la baisse principalement en raison de la deterioration
des conditions economiques en Russie.

Le Service national des statistiques de l’Armenie a enregistre une
augmentation du PIB de seulement 3,1 pour cent au premier trimestre
de cette annee par rapport a celui de l’annee dernière.

Abrahamian a souligne le 3 juillet que les dernières previsions de
croissance de son gouvernement ont ete “convenues avec” le president
Serge Sarkissian. Lors d’une declaration qui avait fait date, ce
dernier avait declare en mars 2013 qu’il dissoudrait tout gouvernement
qui ne parviendrait pas a assurer un taux de croissance de 7 pour
cent pour les annees a venir.

Sarkissian a declare le 26 mai que l’economie de l’Armenie va croître
plus vite que prevu en 2014-2017.

Local boxing belt designer honored twice

Hudson Reporter, NJ
July 6 2014

Local boxing belt designer honored twice

Ninety-two year old craftsman Ardash Sahaghian has enjoyed the
limelight this past month. As the originator of the modern boxing
belt, Sahaghian’s work elevated not only the culture of boxing, but
also the cities where these iconic symbols were created — Weehawken
and Union City.

On May 23, Union City Mayor Brian Stack issued a proclamation honoring
Ardash and his wife, Nazeli Sahaghian. The proclamation was presented
at the Armenian Flag Raising ceremony at International Park, days shy
of Armenian Independence Day. Overseen by Union City Commissioners
Lucio Fernandez and Tilo Rivas, as well as prominent local members of
the Armenian clergy, the flag raising was a special ceremony for the
family.

“Our Armenian heritage is an integral part of our identity, and my
grandparents are very proud of their cultural roots,” commented Edward
S. Majian, their grandson and President of SARTONK. The proclamation
reads, in part, “Ardash Sahaghian’s successes serve as an inspiration
to the Armenian people … Ardash was recruited to modernize the
classic championship boxing belts. He used his artistry to create
three-dimensional sculptural pieces that ultimately became industry
icons.”

Three weeks after that historic day, on June 14, Sahaghian was honored
at the Union City Annual Artists Awards. Organized by the
administration, this red carpet gala celebrated the artists who have
enriched Union City — whether through photography, music, dance,
painting, writing, or design.

http://hudsonreporter.com/bookmark/25385893-WEEHAWKEN-BRIEFS

Syria’s Kessab today: vivid photos of ruined Armenian-populated regi

Syria’s Kessab today: vivid photos of ruined Armenian-populated region

14:18, 4 July, 2014

KESSAB, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Consulate-General of the Republic of
Armenia to Syria’s Aleppo introduces Kessab today in photos. As
reports “Armenpress”, the photos clearly display the traces left by
the terrorists, who invaded the region from Turkey.

The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of
Armenia to Syria Arshak Poladyan has got acquainted with the current
situation in Kessab on the spot.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/768311/syrias-kessab-today-vivid-photos-of-ruined-armenian-populated-region.html

The cost of new nuclear station block is 4.5 bln dollars

The cost of new nuclear station block is 4.5 bln dollars

17:22 | July 5,2014 | Economy

The construction of new energy block of ANPP is scheduled in
2018-2019. The cost of new block is 4.5 bln dollars. According to
Ministry of Energy website, a part of the money will be provided by
Russian Government in the form of products and equipments, and the
other part will form the financial investments obtained during
negotiations with other countries.

The regular planned repair work of ANPP will start on September:
during that time the work of the plant will be stopped for 45 days.

http://en.a1plus.am/1192947.html

Artsakh leader awards medal to French politician

Artsakh leader awards medal to French politician

13:32 05/07/2014 » SOCIETY

Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic President Sahakyan signed a decree
on awarding the Gratitude Medal to French politician Emmanuel Mandon
for his active support in the implementation of various humanitarian
programs in Nagorno-Karabakh, the press service of the Artsakh
Republic President reports.

Source: Panorama.am

Analyst: Turkey will open border only in case of strong leadership i

Analyst: Turkey will open border only in case of strong leadership in Armenia

July 05, 2014 | 20:26

YEREVAN. – Armenian analyst believes that the publications in Turkish
media related to the upcoming opening of border with Armenia is a
policy of bluff.

“They will not open the border. It is impossible. Turkey will open the
border, only when Armenia has strong leadership. In case of incumbent
weak authorities, the opening is out of the question,” Yervand Bozoyan
told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

As reported earlier, on Friday Turkish Taraf newspaper said Prime
Minister Erdogan had allegedly instructed to open the border with
Armenia in September. The newspaper claimed Turkey and Armenia have
already held bilateral talks on the issue.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am