Author: Badalian Vardan

POGHOSIAN: UTILITY TARIFFS SHOULD BE HIGHER FOR THE RICH

Friday,
January
17

A growth in prices is expected in Armenia soon, the chairman of
Association of Armenian Consumers NGO Armen Poghosian said at a
meeting with journalists today.

In his words, he sees no prospect, except the overthrow of the
government.

Because of the price hike Armenian society has found itself in a
hopeless situation, Poghosian said noting that this increase can be
compensated for.

According to him, one way to combat inflation is differentiation of
utility prices, in particular by setting higher tariffs for the rich.

Another participant of the meeting, economist Vilen Khachatrian
said that inflation in Armenia is due to a number of domestic and
external factors. There is inflation in neighboring countries as well
and Armenia cannot avoid inflation as it imports various goods from
these countries, the economist said.

TODAY, 17:46

Aysor.am

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: DILIJAN FINANCIAL CENTER PROJECT TO ENTAIL EXTRA COSTS

10:00 ~U 17.01.14

The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) is planning development activities
worth 3.1 billion Armenian Drams (approx $7,500,000) as part of its
efforts to make the resort town of Dilijan a universal financial
center.

The development work is planned on the territory of the Dilijan
Education-Research Center, an institution whose construction the paper
says cost the CBA tens of billions of Drams in the past three years

The paper notes that after Armenia’s accession to the Russian-led
Eurasian Customs Union, the country will be forced to introduce the
United Eurasian Currency, a move which it says would make the CBA’s
existence absolutely senseless.

Armenian News – Tert.am

FUNDAÇÃO CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN
Armenian Communities Department – Service des Communautés Arméniennes
Av. de Berna, 45 A, PT-1067-001, Lisboa, Portugal
Tel: +351 21 782 3658
E-mail: [email protected]

Oscar O’Sullivan
Gestor de Projetos Junior
Serviço das Comunidades Arménias
FUNDAÇÃO CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN

Schools in ruins, displaced families, houses to rebuild, refugees in
their thousands – this is the present reality of many of the cities in
Syria, affected by a war between the regime in Damascus and the forces
opposing president Bashar al-Assad. One of the cities that has borne
the heaviest burden of the conflict is Aleppo (around 300km northeast
of the capital), where the largest Armenian community in the country,
of around 40,000 people, is based.

In November, the Trustee Board of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation,
Lisbon, approved ?¬ 120,000 of humanitarian aid for this
community, funds that will be managed by a group of organizations
headed by the Archbishop of Aleppo. The money released by the Armenian
Communities Department is targeted to aid the recovery of Aleppo, but
will also benefit other communities, including in Damascus. During the
past year, the Foundation has already approved approximately
?¬ 80,000 in grants for refugees who had left Syria.

Support for education

Forced to flee from the war, thousands of Syrian university students
now find themselves without a way to continue their studies. In the
face of this crisis, Jorge Sampaio, the former High Commissioner for
the UN Alliance of Civilizations, created the Global Partnership for
Syrian Students, in conjunction with other organisations. The idea of
this partnership is to assist in the payment of these
students’ fees and to help them complete their courses in
the countries where they are refugees. The Gulbenkian Foundation will
support this initiative until 2015, giving roughly ?¬
200,000 in scholarships to Syrian-Armenian students.

Additionally, around 350 Syrian student refugees in Armenia will
receive support from the Armenian Communities Department in order to
complete their studies.

Primary and secondary schools in Syria were also hard hit by the
war. The Foundation has set aside about ?¬ 125,000 to
support 22 such schools in the country, so that thousands of children
may continue to learn.

United Nations figures from December show that this war has already
brought about more than 130,000 fatalities, more than a third of which
were civilian deaths.

Federation of Armenian Organisations in The Netherlands (FAON)
Address: Weesperstraat 91
2574 VS The Hague, The Netherlands
Telephone: +31704490209
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: M. Hakhverdian

PRESS RELEASE

Armenian Genocide at Holocaust Memorial Day

On 25 January 2014 an Armenian Genocide Memorial Event will be held in The
Hague as part of the Holocaust Memorial Day, coordinated by the Dutch
Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies NIOD:

Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January, is a worldwide memorial day for the
victims of the Holocaust and other genocides. The day was designated in 2005
by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in reference to the remembrance of the
liberation of Nazi death camp Auschwitz on 27 January 1945.

This event is organised by 24 April Committee of the Federation of Armenian
Organisations in the Netherlands (FAON).

Date: Saturday, 25 January 2014 at 4 p.m.
Place: Abovian Armenian Cultural Centre
Address: Weesperstraat 91 – 2574 VS The Hague, The Netherlands

The programme includes a number of elements that give meaning to the central
theme of Holocaust Memorial Day 2014: “Survival – Life”, which means how to
live and to survive if you are victim of violence, oppression and
persecution?
Haygan Mardigjan will talk about how her grandmother survived the Armenian
Genocide of 1915 and about her life later. This story will be published
later this year in a book.
In the documentary “Grandma’s Tattoos” by Suzanne Khardalian the
granddaughter is looking at the history of her grandmother, a survivor of
the Armenian Genocide, the secret of her tattoos, the mystery of her
attitude and her emotional world.
The pain and struggle of the survivors of the genocide is depicted in two
dances of youth dance group of Abovian Association.
To mark Holocaust Memorial Day there will be an exhibition of newspaper
articles from the First World War, cartoons and reports of the Dutch
ambassador in Constantinople to show how the news on the persecution and
extermination of the Armenians was transmitted in the Netherlands. This
exhibition is curated by Mr. Peter van der Velden .
There will be a collection of books on the Armenian Genocide.
Afterwards there will be drinks and opportunity to talk with each other.

The 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, perpetrated by the Ottoman
Empire during the First World War, will be commemorated next year with
several events. Please contact [email protected] for questions concerning these
events.

KILLED SOLDIER’S FATHER INDIGNANT AT JUDICIARY

21:23 ~U 15.01.14

The minor court of the Tavush region, Armenia, has once again adjourned
the trial of the Lyuks Stepanyan murder case until January 29.

Soldier Lyuks Stepanyan was killed in a military unit in Noyemberyan,
on May 15, 2013.

The soldier’s father Ishkhan Stepanyan told Tert.am that after knowing
it he attempted to throw himself out of the court’s window.

“We, fellow villagers, arrived at the court and there was nobody
there. We saw only the accused. And he is still serving,” Stepanyan
said.

The counsel for the defense failed to arrive because his car broke
down. “We wanted his mobile number, but they did not tell us,”
Stepanyan said.

“[Minister of Defense] Seyran Ohanyan, [Chief of Armenia’s Police]
Vladimir Gasparyan blocked by way on the Sevan highway and promised
a fair trial to me. How can I live in this country of iniquity?”

EUTHANASIA HYPOCRISY AGAINST JUSTICE – OPINIONS

15:38 ~U 15.01.14

An Armenian clergyman expressed on Wednesday his criticism of
euthanasia, considering the practice a condemnable intervention in
a human being’s life.

“Euthanasia has to do with human suffering and love. The intervention
is unwelcome, if not unacceptable. I characterize fantasy as hypocrisy
against social justice. We could apply the same to the homeless,”
Bishop Bagrat Yesayan told a news conference on Wednesday.

He described euthanasia as a manifestation of selfishness, noting
that very often, people taking care of a terminally ill patient may
agree to have that person killed on the grounds that they rid him or
her of suffering.

Marat Zakaryan, a psychologist also attending the news conference,
referred to the etymology of the word – sweet death.

“There are passive and active forms of euthanasia. A failure to assist
in [a patient’s] recovery is the passive form; when drugs are injected
to cause the patient’s death, that’s the active form,” he said noting
that the physician-assisted suicide, which is prohibited in Armenia,
is accepted in several countries in Europe.

He noted further that not all doctors accept the practice, having
very often slight flashes of hope.

Commenting on the problem, Deacon Zhora Sargsyan stressed the need
of considering the moral responsibility issue when dealing with
euthanasia or bioethics in general.

“Suffering reveals the profundity of human life. The idea behind
overcoming suffering is that it is a chance, not a punishment. There
is life and death, the two boundaries of life, so a human being has
no rights beyond those lines; it’s not within his or her competences,”
he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

POPE FRANCIS SENDS HIS BLESSINGS TO THE ARMENIAN NATION

17:14 15.01.2014

Armenia, Pope Francis, Vatican

On January 13 Pope Francis received the Ambassadors accredited to the
Vatican, Press and Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs reports.

During the traditional annual reception Armenia’s Ambassador to the
Holy See Mikael Minasyan had a short conversation with Pope Francis.

The Leader of the Catholic Church asked to convey his warm greetings
to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and his blessings to the
whole Armenian nation.

ARMENIAN ENERGY MINISTER RESPONDS TO SECOND PRESIDENT -TERT.AM

January 15, 2014 | 12:06

YEREVAN. – Energy and Natural Resources Minister of Armenia, Armen
Movsisyan, spoke withTert.am.

Movsisyan commented on the recent interview with secondPresident
Robert Kocharyan, who had spoken about the Russian natural gas being
supplied to Armenia. Below is an excerpt from Movsisyan’s interview.

Robert Kocharyan accused the incumbent authorities of concealing the
real price of gas and, as a result, accruing debts. How would you
respond to this accusation?

“We have announced, ever since 2010, that negotiations are underway
with [the Russian energy giant] Gazprom [Company]. The negotiations
lasted for about three years and in the meantime, [and] due to the
difference in prices, around $300 million in debts accrued. But the
Armenian party agreed to the Russian party’s proposal to pay about half
of the debt. This deal is in the best interests of our country and it
is developed very well, and it will give life to numerous initiatives.

Robert Kocharyan had reflected on the sale of the [Armenian
government’s] 20-percent shares in [the] ArmRusGazprom [Company]. How
would you comment on his view?

“The Armenian government, Gazprom, and [the Russian] Itera [Company]
were the founders of ArmRusGazprom. The total investment [to Armenia]
by Gazprom amounted to around $550 million. Moreover, $250 million were
directed at subsidizing the [price of] gas for Armenia’s consumers,
compensating for the difference in the prices on the purchase of
gas at Armenia’s border. By 2006, Gazprom had already bought Itera’s
shares [in ArmRusGazprom]. Gazprom’s representation formed an absolute
majority at the company’s board of directors, and such a situation
made it impossible for the Armenian party to have an impact on the
decisions made by Gazprom, and this fits within the framework of the
business logic.”

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMENIAN SOLDIER DIES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

13:13 ~U 15.01.14

An Armenian army private has died of a disease in one of the military
units of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The deceased is Hayk H Maakaryan, 21, according to the Defense
Ministry’s website.

A probe has been launched into the circumstances of the tragic
incident.

The Ministry has extended condolences to the soldier’s family and
fellow servicemen.

PRESSE ARMENIENNE : REVUE DU 14 JANVIER 2014

Publie le : 15-01-2014

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
presente cette Revue de Presse parue sur le site de l’Ambassade de
France en Armenie le 14 janvier 2014.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

Revue de la presse armenienne du 14 janvier 2014

I. Politique interieure

1. La guerre des mots entre l’ex-President et le PM se poursuit :
Robert Kotcharian de plus en plus critique envers le Gouvernement
actuel/ La presse du jour rend compte de la deuxième ” manche ”
du debat entre Robert Kotcharian et Tigran Sarkissian declenche
fin decembre, lorsque le PM avait qualifie, lors d’une conference de
presse de fin d’annee, de ” bulle eclatee ” le boom de la construction
qu’avait connu l’Armenie sous la presidence de Robert Kotcharian (cf.

revue du 9 janvier). Celui-ci a repondu au PM en termes ” durs “,
mettant en question ses capacites ” mentales “. Le PM a, a son tour,
publie un article presentant des ” analyses economiques ” sur la
vulnerabilite de la croissance a deux chiffres qu’avait enregistree
l’Armenie dans les annees Kotcharian.

Dans un entretien l’ancien President reproche notamment au Gouvernement
d’avoir cache a la societe l’augmentation en 2011 du prix du gaz
russe et d’avoir ainsi accumule une dette de 300 M USD a l’egard de
Gazprom. Il a juge les explications du Gouvernement ” extremement
peu convaincantes “, estimant qu'”il aurait ete preferable de tout
simplement demander pardon a la societe “. Cette transaction a, selon
lui, saborde les ” derniers elements de confiance de l’opinion dans le
Gouvernement “. R. Kotcharian a aussi exprime ses inquietudes quant
aux droits exclusifs dont jouira Gazprom en Armenie jusqu’en 2044,
estimant que le Gouvernement armenien n’aura plus dès lors qu’un
statut de simple ” observateur sur la marche national du gaz ” : ”
J’ai en vain cherche des exemples d’accords similaires dans le monde “,
poursuit-il. Enfin, il estime qu’il est vain de polemiquer avec un PM
” qui a passe les six dernières annees a tenter de justifier ses echecs
en les mettant sur le compte de ses predecesseurs “, ajoutant que ” le
principal critère pour evaluer le travail d’un Gouvernement quel qu’il
soit est très simple : les gens vivaient-ils mieux ou moins bien sous
ce Gouvernement ? “. Et de conclure que : ” j’ai parle et continuerai
a parler des questions vitales relatives au present et a l’avenir de
l’Armenie, independamment de mes eventuelles activites politiques. Je
ne peux rester indifferent devant les problèmes croissants auxquels
est confronte le pays et me dois de m’exprimer en toute franchise a
ce sujet “.

Edouard Charmazanov, porte-parole du parti Republicain, a repondu
a l’ex-President, ” qui semble etre reste dans le passe et dont les
propos comportent des expressions inadmissibles, voire vexantes “.

Selon lui, ses propos sont intempestifs et ne proposent aucune solution
pour l’avenir.

Selon Haykakan Jamanak, l’opinion armenienne se demande quel est le
veritable objectif de l’ex-President et de ses attaques contre le PM.

2. Un soldat transporte a l’hôpital après avoir ete violement battu/
Hayots Achkhar et Haykakan Jamanak rendent compte de l’hospitalisation
d’un soldat appele en decembre et tabasse [d’après ses proches
par les commandants] dans une unite du HK. Une enquete est en
cours. Selon Arminfo, le Ministre de la Defense, Seyran Ohanian,
suit personnellement cette enquete. Il lui a rendu visite a l’hôpital.

II. Questions regionales

1. 65 000 euros du budget d’Etat armenien pour couvrir les depenses
de transport de la base militaire et des gardes frontières russes
bases en Armenie / Selon Haykakan Jamanak, le directeur du Service de
securite nationale a sollicite 65 000 euros du Gouvernement armenien
pour que celui-ci couvre les depenses de transport de la base militaire
russe stationnee a Gumri et des gardes-frontières russes stationnes
le long de la frontière armeno-turque. Haykakan Jamanak ecrit avec
ironie que le Gouvernement armenien finira par couvrir lui-meme les
depenses des militaires russes, ” au nom de l’amitie armeno-russe “.

Redaction : Meri Hakobian

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Ambassade de France en Armenie