Author: Badalian Vardan

KARABAGH
Le Gouvernement du Karabagh discute des perspectives d’approvisionnement en eau

Le gouvernement de la République du Haut-Karabagh (RHK) a examiné les
possibilités d’accroître l’efficacité des opérations
d’approvisionnement en eau dans les régions lors de sa réunion
présidée par le premier ministre de la RHK Ara Harutiunyan.

Le vice-premier ministre et les chefs des administrations régionales
ont rapporté des progrès dans le domaine.

Le but de la discussion était de s’assurer que la qualité des services
d’approvisionnement en eau à la population et d’une réponse rapide à
des pannes.

Le chef du gouvernement a déclaré que les tarifs de l’eau d’irrigation
dans les conduites d’eau potable dans les maisons privées devraient
être différents de ceux de l’eau potable et a chargé le personnel
concerné à examiner la question et faire des propositions.

La réunion du gouvernement a été suivi par le chef de l’administration
du gouvernement de la RHK Levon Grigoryan et d’autres responsables des
organismes concernés.

vendredi 28 mars 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

USA
La Communauté arménienne des Etats-unis soutient les Arméniens de Kessab

Les dirigeants des quatre confessions religieuses arméniennes, des
trois partis politiques et des principales organisations de secours
arméniens ont publié une déclaration conjointe mardi 25 mars en
promettant leur soutien solidaire pour les Arméniens de Kessab qui ont
été attaqué la semaine dernière par des militants d’Al-Qaïda qui sont
entrés par la frontière de Turquie.

Voici le texte de l’annonce :

“LE DERNIER JOUR DU JEUNE” DE SIMON ABKARIAN, TRAGEDIE GRECQUE REVUE PAR PAGNOL

Francetv info
27 mars 2014

Publie le 27/03/2014 a 13H44, mis a jour a 13H52

(c) Antoine Agoudjian

Philippe Quesne a pris le 1er janvier la direction du theâtre des
Amandiers de Nanterre, assumant la succession et les choix de son
predecesseur Jean-Louis Martinelli pour cette saison 2013-2014. Saison
ambitieuse, durant laquelle Martinelli a eu la très bonne idee
de programmer >, cree a Marseille en
septembre dernier.

Par Bertrand Renard Reagir

On n’est d’ailleurs pas sûr que ce titre soit le meilleur element de la
pièce (a en juger par la frequentation, honnete mais en demi-teinte,
de la grande salle de Nanterre ce soir la). Ce qui compte dans ce >, c’est la soiree de l’après-jeûne, celle où l’on se
jette de nouveau sur des monceaux de viande d’une manière un peu
animale, justifiant le personnage de Minas, le boucher (très bien
defendu par David Ayala, avec un terrible melange de tendresse et
d’inconscience cruelle).

Mais cette histoire-la est un peu annexe, comparee aux autres,
a toutes les autres, dont Abkarian entrecroise les fils: chacun
des fils concernant un personnage, six femmes, cinq hommes, mais ô
combien les femmes sont essentielles et combien les hommes, malgre
leur comportement de gros machos, semblent depasses, veules, quasi
figurants!

Ariane Ascaride, Judith Magre, Oceane Mozas, Chloe Rejon, Marie Fabre,
cyril Lecomte…

C’est une chronique. Mediterraneenne. Six femmes donc : une mère,
Nouritsa (Ariane Ascaride), sa soeur plus âgee, Sandra, avocate,
savante, presque pythie (Judith Magre). Ses deux filles, Zela (Oceane
Mozas), belle et mystique, qui a reve d’un homme etranger et qui se
complait dans ce reve, comme si elle etait la vestale, la vierge, de ce
dieu encore inconnu. Astrig (Chloe Rejon), charnelle, terre-a-terre,
qui a parfaitement compris et le sort fait aux femmes (la maison,
la cuisine, les enfants) et le moyen d’y echapper (l’instruction)
Ce qui ne l’empeche pas d’etre amoureuse d’Aris, beau gosse bruyant
et soupe-au-lait, avec un petit pois dans la tete et un gros poil
dans la main mais avec un coeur gros comme ca. Et avec une mère (la
formidable Marie Fabre, melange de Marthe Villalonga et de Maïte),
Vava dite >, cancanière et intarissable, qui
entretient avec son fils des relations… mediterraneennes.

Une chronique mediterraneenne (c) Antoine Agoudjian

Tout cela serait beau, joyeux, colore, emouvant parfois (avec ce vieux
fond de tristesse et de fatalisme propre aux peuples qui bordent la
>) si ne regnait autour de la fille du boucher,
la jeune Sophia, comme un halo de tragedie.

On voit bien ce qu’a voulu faire Simon Abkarian (et ce qu’il a voulu
faire est assez gonfle): meler la tragedie grecque a Pagnol, jouer
sur differents niveaux de langage pour montrer combien, dans toutes
les civilisations mediterraneennes, cette parole est transmission,
monnaie, nourriture, echange et commerce, parole des dieux transmise
par les hommes ou remontant des hommes aux dieux.

Les talents d’auteur de Simon Abkarian Rien de plus emblematique que
la scène initiale où la grande Judith Magre nous plante le decor, dans
une langue riche, somptueuse, mais a laquelle il faut s’habituer. Puis
surgit Ariane Ascaride, quotidienne, d’une profonde justesse, qui
nettoie le sol et demande a ses filles d’aller >. La pièce navigue ainsi constamment entre ces deux
niveaux d’ecriture qui pourraient mal s’abouter mais qu’Abkarian, en
vrai ecrivain (et surtout dialoguiste), reussit a rendre harmonieux. On
se souvient alors qu’Abkarian a obtenu il y a six ans un prix de la
Critique Theâtrale avec > qui saluait deja
ses talents d’auteur.

Simon Abkarian, que le grand public connaît desormais pour ses rôles
televises dans > ou >, est
cet acteur aux superbes moustaches et a la carrière cinematographique
desormais fournie où il incarne aussi bien un Armenien (ses racines)
pour son pote Robert Guediguian qu’un Israelien (pour Ronit Elkabetz),
un Maghrebin, un Iranien (le père de Marjane Satrapi dans >), bref un representant de ces peuples arabo-mediterraneens dont le
point commun est le patriarcat (il se reserve ici le rôle de Theos,
le père, personnage pas très present, silencieux mais très symbolique).

C’est du meme coup le defaut de la pièce (outre qu’elle est un peu
trop longue) : les noms des personnages sont grecs, la radio nous
parle de Chypre, mais les chants entendus sont armeniens, semble-t-il,
il y a des allusions a Marseille (et Marie Fabre et Cyril Lecomte
utilisent a plein leur accent phoceen, ce qui est un vrai bonheur).

Cette volonte de brouiller les pistes (allusions aussi aux guerres
qui ont ravage le Liban ou la Serbie, mais egalement Chypre!) finit
par mettre de la confusion dans ce qui devrait rester une chronique
universelle, c’est-a-dire nourrie des mythes de ce coin du monde mais
en l’ancrant vraiment dans un territoire precis. Pas sûr non plus que
la fin, qui nous parle de la transmission des generations a travers
le personnage du fils de 15 ans, Elias, soit vraiment necessaire.

Un vrai esprit de troupe J’ai cite les actrices et l’essentiel des
acteurs. Il faudrait redire combien ils sont de qualite, dans un
vrai esprit de troupe. Mention surtout a Ascaride, Marie Fabre,
Chloe Rejon et Cyril Lecomte, Judith Magre etant hors-concours.

Dernier detail, très mediterraneen aussi : l’atmosphère est grave,
voire tragique, et cependant l’on rit souvent. Ce sont vraiment
Sophocle et Pagnol qui se tiennent la main et pour cette alliance
inattendue on pardonnera largement a Abkarian un certain manque de
rythme et les quelques maladresses de construction. Et que c’est bon
d’entendre au theâtre des accents qui nous disent la vie, et non pas
du folklore !

> de Simon Abkarian Theâtre des Amandiers
de Nanterre (92) jusqu’au 6 avril 7 avenue Pablo Picasso Tel : 01 46
14 70 70 CDN de Limoges (87) du 9 au 11 avril

SWITZERLAND READY TO CONTRIBUTE TO SETTLING THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
March 27 2014

27 March 2014, 15:00 (GMT+04:00)
By Sara Rajabova

The Swiss OSCE Chairmanship voiced readiness to support the OSCE Minsk
Group, which mediates negotiation over resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for South
Caucasus, Angelo Gnadinger told Trend Agency that the Swiss OSCE
Chairmanship is ready to provide any support to the Minsk Group and
to create relevant conditions.

Gnadinger said he had constructive discussions with Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov within the framework of the
meetings with Azerbaijani officials over the peaceful resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“During this meeting, I underlined the importance of the Minsk process
from the perspective of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship, since we consider
the conflict a continuing cause of suffering for all the affected
people and a threat to the whole Caucasus region. When addressing the
OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on 16 January, Didier Burkhalter, the
Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and Foreign Minister of Switzerland,
made clear that it is not an option for Switzerland to simply ‘wait
and see’,” Gnadinger said.

He said Switzerland fully supports the Minsk process and closely
cooperates with the co-chairs and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the
Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office for the conflict
dealt with by the Minsk Conference.

Gnadinger stressed that the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship is ready to
provide any support to the Minsk Group co-chairs and encourage the
parties to intensify their dialogue.

Earlier, Burkhalter voiced readiness to promote the resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He said the Swiss chairmanship will maintain and support the
established format for conflict settlement, which is the Minsk Group
co-chaired by the U.S., Russia and France.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early
1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed
forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally
recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
regions.

The UN Security Council’s four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal
have not been enforced to this day.

Peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group are underway on the basis
of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the
Madrid Principles. The negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.

EU-AZERBAIJAN: 2013 A DECISIVE YEAR IN RELATIONS, BUT LITTLE PROGRESS ON HUMAN RIGHTS

ENPI Info, EU
March 27 2014

27-03-2014

2013 was a decisive year in EU-Azerbaijani bilateral relations,
according to a progress report released by the European Commission as
part of the 2014 ENP package, and which takes stock of the progress of
EU-Azerbaijan relations. Azerbaijan’s participation in the Eastern
Partnership Summit in Vilnius, which coincided with the signing
of the Visa Facilitation Agreement and the Mobility Partnership,
underlined the potential to further develop EU-Azerbaijani relations.

The report said negotiations continued on the Association Agreement
and on a Strategic Modernisation Partnership. On energy issues,
the cooperation continued, and the Strategic Energy Partnership
with Azerbaijan was strengthened, with steps taken in view of the
construction of the Southern Gas Corridor, which should reinforce
European energy security.

But the report says that, in contrast, very little progress was seen
on democratic governance and human rights reform. The organisation of
presidential elections raised serious concerns. Significant problems
were identified, including limitations in the freedom of expression,
assembly and association that did not guarantee a level playing field
for candidates.

Azerbaijan partly addressed its public financial management issues
and took measures to fight corruption, following recommendations
from the 2012 ENP Action Plan. However, it did not address key
recommendations to bring its electoral legislation into line with
OSCE/ODIHR recommendations to ensure full freedom of expression and
assembly and full functioning of a civil society, nor did it amend
laws on defamation and competition.

The report makes a number of recommendations with a view to the
sustained implementation of the ENP Action Plan in 2014, mainly in
the areas of human rights, electoral legislation, judicial reform
and action against corruption, public financial accountability and
economic diversification, and efforts towards settlement of the
conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. (EU Neighbourhood Info)gr

ARMENIANS ACCUSE TURKEY OF AIDING AL-QAEDA REBELS IN ATTACK ON SYRIAN CHRISTIAN VILLAGE

Algemeiner
March 27 2014

JNS.org – Armenian leaders have accused Turkey of aiding
al-Qaeda-affiliated rebel groups during their attack on a largely
Armenian Christian village in northern Syria.

“Turkey’s facilitation of al-Qaeda affiliated foreign fighters and
their attacks on innocent civilians in Syria undermines ongoing US and
international efforts to bring peace to a country ravaged by violence
for far too long,” Ken Hachikian, chairman of the Armenian National
Committee of America, wrote in a letter to President Barack Obama.

Last weekend, rebel forces from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front and
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria took control of the small Armenian
Christian village in northern Syria during fighting with the Syrian
army, forcing most of the residents to flee.

According to the Armenian daily newspaper Panorama, Armenian President
Sezh Sargsyan drew parallels between the current situation for
Kessab’s Armenian Christians and the Armenian genocide in the early
20th century under the Ottoman Turks.

“The third deportation of Kessab Armenians today is a serious challenge
to ethnic minority rights protection mechanisms of the 21st century,”
Sargsyan said at the World Forum Convention Center in The Hague. “I
think everyone should realize that these parallels should sober all
the sides.”

ARMENIAN AMERICAN DELEGATION MEETS WITH STATE DEPT. ON KESSAB

Thursday, March 27th, 2014

The U.S. Department of State building in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON–The Armenian National Committee of America joined a
delegation of Armenian American community and religious representatives
to forcefully urge the U.S. government to take immediate action to end
the vicious onslaught on the historically Armenian town of Kessab,
Syria, which was overrun by al-Qaeda affiliated terrorists in an
attack launched from Turkey on March 21.

During a meeting with State Department officials earlier today,
community representatives stressed, in urgent and frank terms, that
“the United States has a unique responsibility to protect the citizens
of Kessab especially since a large proportion of them have American
families desperately seeking to provide protection and refuge for
them.” The delegation submitted a series of requests for prompt U.S.

action including:

* Publicly condemn both the vicious attack on an Armenian civilian
town by Al Qaeda-linked terrorists and Turkey’s assistance for and
cooperation in the attack.

* Demand an immediate withdrawal of the extremists, so that civilians
can return to their homes.

* Provide assurances of ongoing protection for the civilian population
and call the reinstatement of a demilitarized zone around Kessab and
the Turkish border.

* Provide targeted and need-based humanitarian assistance for the
displaced civilians from Kessab, who have found refuge in Latakia.

* Demand Turkey secure its border and not allow militants in Kessab
to be reinforced with supplies or be able to return to Turkey.

* Investigate Turkey’s assistance to US designated terrorist groups
such as Al Nusra and publish its findings.

* Facilitate the return of Armenians back to their homes.

* Assist Americans with missing family members to locate their
relatives and bring them to safety.

Earlier this week, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian sent a strongly worded
letter calling on President Obama to direct his Secretary of State,
the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, and his Ambassador to the United Nations
to demand that Turkey halt the cross-border attacks on Kessab that
have forced the immediate civilian evacuation of the area and led to
the looting of properties and the desecration of churches.

Located in the northwestern corner of Syria, near the border with
Turkey, Kessab had, until very recently, evaded major battles in
the Syrian conflict. The local Armenian population had increased in
recently years with the city serving as safe-haven for those fleeing
from the war-torn cities of Yacubiye, Rakka and Aleppo. On the morning
of March 21st, extremist foreign fighters launched a vicious attack on
Kessab civilians, forcing them to flee neighboring Latakia and Bassit.

FOUR ARMENIAN-AMERICANS ELECTED TO ENCINO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

Thursday, March 27th, 2014

Clockwise from upper left: Talar Derderian, George Jawlakian, Varant
Majarian, and Anni Keusseyan

ENCINO, Calif.–On Sunday, March 16, four Armenian-American candidates
were successfully elected to the Encino Neighborhood Council. The
ANCA San Fernando Valley-West Chapter took a proactive role in
organizing the community’s support. The candidates running in this
election were incumbents Anni Keusseyan for Area One Representative,
Talar Derderian for Religious Organization Representative, George
Jawlakian for Volunteer Representative. Also running for his first
seat on the Encino Neighborhood Council was Varant Majarian for At
Large Representative.

All candidates were elected with an impressive number of votes. The
ANCA-SFW executed a grass roots campaign by canvassing neighborhoods,
mobilizing the community with a local get out the vote campaign,
and building coalitions with other organizations within Encino. These
election efforts proved successful when the final votes were tallied
Sunday evening after the election.

“We congratulate the candidates on their successful election to the
Council” remarked Nareg S. Kitsinian, Esq., Chairman of the ANCA-SFW
Chapter. “Encino has a diverse and rich history and the community’s
collective voice will continue to be heard with the election of these
candidates” concluded Kitsinian.

The Encino Neighborhood Council serves in an advisory capacity to
the Los Angeles City Council.

The Armenian National Committee of America, San Fernando Valley West
advances the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of
the area’s Armenian American community and promotes increased civic
participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.

OFFICIAL YEREVAN DOES NOT DENY THAT DAVUTOgLU HAD BROUGHT A LETTER TO SERZH SARGSYAN ON DECEMBER

March 27 2014

The response of the Press Secretary of the President of Armenia
to Aravot.am question At the international conference on “NATO’s
Partnerships and the South Caucasus: A Strategic Approach to Regional
Security” held in Yerevan on March 20, David Shahnazaryan, the head
of the RA Nationals Security Service for the period of 1994-1995, the
Special Envoy of the President of Armenia for the period of 1992-1995,
speaking on the topic of Armenia-Turkey relations and about Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s visit to Armenia on December,
noted, “Davutoglu had brought a letter to the President of Armenia
from the Turkish prime minister. I consider the fact itself important,
even though according to my information there was nothing special in
the content of the letter…,” said Shahnazaryan, adding that both
Armenia and the Turkish authorities are maintaining confidentiality
of the letter. To this respect, Aravot.am referred a question to the
Press Secretary of the President of Armenia, Arman Saghatelyan, what
was written in the letter conveyed to the RA President Serzh Sargsyan
by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, and why the official
Yerevan is keeping the existence of the letter secret. Shortly before,
Aravot.am received the following response from Arman Saghatelyan:
The response of the Press Secretary of the President of Armenia, Arman
Saghatelyan, to the question of Aravot journalist Emma Gabrielyan “The
President of Armenia is getting a lot of letters and messages, which
are published pursuant to the appropriateness and mutually consent.

Pertaining to the views and approaches presented by Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on behalf of his country’s leadership during
his visit to Yerevan last December, Armenia’s Foreign Minister had in
due time referred to them.” Press Secretary of the President of Armenia

Emma GABRIELYAN

Read more at:

ARMENIA’S FOOD SAFETY SERVICE SUSPENDS PRODUCTION OF SOME BAKED GOODS AND MEAT PRODUCTS

YEREVAN, March 27. /ARKA/. Armenia’s food safety service has suspended
production of a number of products from Pghik Ltd. (Small Elephant)
and Khamadam, the press office of the service reported.

In particular, production of “Gata” pastry from Pghik company has been
stopped under a decree of the head of the service Abram Bakhchagulyan
due to noncompliance with hygienic norms.

The decree suspends manufacturing of pelmeni (potstickers) due
to availability of mesophilic and aerobic bacteria and facultative
anaerobes, as well as of chicken cutlets (fungus found) at the factory
of Khamadam.

Both companies were instructed to study the causes and normalize the
production process, according to the report. -0–

– See more at: