Author: Badalian Vardan

Eurasia Review
Nov 8 2013

World Bank Group New Country Partnership Strategy for Armenia

By Eurasia Review

November 8, 2013

A new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for the Republic of Armenia
for 2014-2017 was discussed Thursday by the World Bank Group’s Board
of Executive Directors. The four-year strategy is a framework document
outlining the World Bank Group’s support to the country.

The strategy is anchored in the Armenia Development Strategy 2025 and
places private sector-led job creation at the center of the World Bank
Group’s response. It also stresses the improvement of labor
productivity in agricultural sector that supports the livelihood of
over one million of the rural population, and would lead to higher
economic growth, shared prosperity, and faster poverty reduction in
both urban and rural areas. The strategy proposes financial support of
US$ 843 million over the next four years, with access to the
International Development Association (IDA), International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and International Finance
Corporation (IFC) funding.

‘This Country Partnership Strategy seeks to catalyze bigger volumes of
resources to support Armenia’s development’, said Henry Kerali, World
Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus. ‘It aims to address
Armenia’s vulnerability to external shocks and strengthen
competitiveness for post-crisis growth by supporting critical reforms
that will help boost job creation accompanied by more efficient and
equitable social services delivery.’

The strategy will support Armenia across two main engagement areas:

Supporting competitiveness and job creation by improving the ease of
doing business, promoting exports and tourism, and improving SME
access to finance; and

Improving efficiency and equity in social services delivery by
ensuring access of all, especially women, to quality health and
education services, and strengthening the social protection system.

Improving governance and anti-corruption measures in public services
is a cross-cutting focus. The strategy will help revamp the existing
anti-corruption framework, improve efficiency of the public
administration, and deepen public finance management reform.

`The World Bank Group’s support through its focus on jobs aims to
harness the synergies of different sectors by introducing the
necessary reforms, leading to robust and sustained growth, and
benefitting the people of Armenia’, said Jean-Michel Happi, World Bank
Country Manager for Armenia. `We will also aim to support business
creation, innovation and accessibility of economic infrastructures,
along with improved education and health service delivery.’

IFC, which is the World Bank Group’s private sector arm, will continue
supporting the real sector through investments in competitive sectors
such as mining and agribusiness. IFC will also deepen its advisory
services operations in order to improve the investment climate with a
focus on the agribusiness sector, strengthen the financial sector, and
develop the market for investment in renewable energy.

`The private sector is critical to economic growth,’ said Thomas
Lubeck, IFC Regional Manager for the South Caucasus. `IFC, with its
focus on private sector development, plans to leverage the power of
entrepreneurs to create jobs and support sustainable economic growth
in Armenia. We will continue to seek investment opportunities and
provide advice in the areas where those are needed most.’

Since Armenia joined the World Bank in 1992, US$1,746 million has been
allocated to different operations in the country. Currently, the World
Bank portfolio includes 14 active projects with total commitments of
US$445.4 million. Areas of support include five investment lending
operations in infrastructure, four in social sectors, three in public
sector, and two in ICT and agriculture. With Armenia becoming a member
and a shareholder of IFC in 1995, the organization has invested
US$271.5 million in the country. Those investments covered 44 projects
across a range of sectors, including financial markets, manufacturing,
and mining. IFC has also mobilized nearly US$9 million from other
lenders. IFC’s Advisory Services group provides advice through
projects focusing on the financial sector, sustainable energy,
regulatory simplification, and food safety.

Marketwired
November 7, 2013 Thursday 10:00 AM GMT

Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Armenian Genocide Museum
Institute Sign Memorandum of Understanding

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA; Nov 07, 2013

Mr. Stuart Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), and Dr. Hayk Demoyan,
Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute (AGMI) of the
National Academy of Sciences, signed a memorandum of understanding
(MOU) today that will facilitate collaboration for the promotion of
human rights through joint projects and education.

The CMHR and the AGMI will exchange knowledge and expertise,
educational materials, and exhibitions with respect to human rights,
share research and advice, cooperate to advance the academic study of
human rights and reconciliation, the Armenian Genocide and its
effects, and processes seeking justice and reconciliation, and work
together to educate people on issues of human rights, in both national
and global contexts.

“Respect and protection for human rights is hard to build, but easy to
destroy. Every society that embraces human rights has to be
continually vigilant to promote and protect those human rights,” Mr.
Stuart Murray said. “We are very pleased to be joining hands with the
Armenian Genocide Museum Institute to promote education, awareness and
dialogue about human rights.”

The official signing of the MOU between the CMHR and AGMI has been
facilitated by the assistance of the International Institute for
Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute
of Canada) – a Canadian organization which advances scholarship and
public awareness relating to issues of universal human rights,
genocide, and diaspora-homeland relations. Representatives of the
IIGHRS officially witnessed the signing and will serve an ongoing role
as liaison and facilitators.

“The Armenian Genocide is an important human rights story,” said Dr.
Demoyan. “The concept of crimes against humanity was developed in
response to this horrific series of violations against the Armenian
people. The intent of the Ottoman Turkish government to annihilate its
Armenian citizens is not only a crime against humanity, but also
genocide. The denial of the genocide by the inheritors of the
perpetrator state and others is itself a violation of the human rights
of the survivors and their descendants. This partnership will help
bring the story of the Armenian Genocide to a wider audience, to the
benefit of generations to come.”

During and after the First World War, the leaders of the Ottoman
Empire (the forerunner of the modern-day Republic of Turkey) made a
brutal attempt to destroy the empire’s entire Armenian population,
targeting them on ethnic and religious grounds, along with other
Christian subjects-the Assyrians and Greeks. The Genocide began in
1915 with the execution of Armenian leaders. Then authorities rounded
up Armenian men, women and children. The victims were massacred or
forced on death marches through the desert. Many died of starvation.
The perpetrators tried to hide these mass killings from the world.

The first international reaction to the Genocide resulted in a joint
statement by France, Russia and Great Britain, in May 1915, where the
Ottoman Empire atrocities directed against the Armenian people was
defined as “new crimes against humanity and civilization.” In 2004,
the Canadian House of Commons passed a resolution to recognize this
genocide.

“By raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide, we hope to remind
people of the importance of breaking the silence on human rights
violations. We look forward to working with the Canadian Museum for
Human Rights on this goal,” said AGMI Director Demoyan.

There were an estimated two million Armenians living in their
ancestral homeland in the Ottoman Empire on the eve of the First World
War. Approximately one and a half million Armenians perished between
1915 and 1923. Another half million found shelter abroad.

One of the audience, Jack Garabed, a Manitoban descendant of an
Armenian Genocide survivor, came to see this historic partnership and
shared the story of his father, Garabedi Haroutounian. He spoke of his
grandfather being taken away one night and murdered. They took his
father away and placed him in an orphanage. He believes his
Grandmother escaped into Egypt with some of the younger children. His
father was forced to change religion. The Salvation Army arranged to
have three children in the orphanage, including his father,
transported to Canada. Haroutounian left the other two boys in
Montreal and continued on to Manitoba. He was fascinated by the train
ride, and wanted to extend it as far as he could. The train brought
him to Winnipeg, and from there he was placed with farmers in the
Killarney area.

About the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The CMHR is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to the
evolution, celebration and future of human rights. It is the first
national museum in Canada to be built outside the National Capital
Region. The Museum will use immersive multi-media technology and other
innovative approaches to create an inspiring encounter with human
rights unlike anything visitors have experienced before.

About the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute

The Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute (AGMI) of the National
Academy of Sciences is a non-profit organization based in Yerevan,
Republic of Armenia. The mission of the Museum-Institute is the
academic and scientific study, analysis of the problems as well as
exhibition of the textual and visual documentation related to the
first Genocide of the 20th century.

About the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights
Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute)

The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A
Division of the Zoryan Institute), led by President Greg Sarkissian,
Chairman Prof. Roger W. Smith, and Executive Director George
Shirinian, runs an annual course in comparative genocide studies in
partnership with the University of Toronto and is co-publisher of
Genocide Studies International in partnership with the University of
Toronto Press. It is the first non-profit, international center
devoted to the research and documentation of contemporary issues with
a focus on Genocide, Diaspora and Homeland.

SOURCE: Canadian Museum for Human Rights and The Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute

Foreign Policy
Nov 7 2013

Art as Politics

by Ani Torossian | on November 7th, 2013

It is not often that a rug becomes caught in the crosshairs of foreign
policy and cast away from artistic appreciation, yet the 1920s
Armenian orphan rug that was planned for display in December at the
Smithsonian Museum suffers just this fate.

Bound by the common thread of their identity as children and survivors
of the Armenian genocide, Armenian orphans in a Lebanon refuge camp
wove a room-sized rug as a gift presented to the White House in 1925.

Each woven thread contained a symbolic message of gratitude for
American humanitarian aid in the Middle East, Greece and Armenia –
assistance that came in the form of education, healthcare and
relocation for the hundreds of thousands of orphaned children in a
region devastated by the Turkish atrocities committed against the
backdrop of World War I.

As a work of art, this Armenian rug represents an image of the
Biblical Garden of Eden. It was set for display at the Smithsonian
before the Obama administration’s unexplained refusal to loan the rug.
Now, it fades from significance in a White House storage room.

As a work of art imbued with a political subtext, the Armenian rug
represents far more than meets the eye. Many note that its public
display would complicate U.S.-Turkey relations. To this day, Turkey
refuses to label the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire as
genocide.

Yet to deny the American public access to the rug is to deny the
openness necessary for historical scholarship and artistic
appreciation.

President Obama has made diplomatic dances around the term `genocide’
far too many times for the administration to worry about the rug’s
negative impact on the foreign policy agenda with Turkey.

His promise as a presidential candidate was as follows: `America
deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide
and responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that
president.’

But the courage with which Mr. Obama confronted the issue as a
presidential candidate has faded. During his presidency, he omitted
the term `genocide’ from his public statements.

Appeasing Turkey at the cost of glossing over historical facts had
been regretfully swallowed in the past. The refusal to now display
artwork for the sake of foreign policy considerations is not at all
what the American public deserves.

And if the White House’s refusal does not rest on an attempt to
politically appease Turkey and protect its relationship, then the
Obama administration would do well to offer the American public an
explanation that actually consists of an explanation. Otherwise, it
leaves a political can of worms open in the form of speculation
unpleasant to both the government and its public.

PRESS RELEASE
THE PAROS FOUNDATION
918 Parker Street, Suite A14
Berkeley, CA 94710
Contact: Peter Abajian
Email: [email protected]
Web:
Tel: US 310-400-9061
Armenia: (093) 99-80-99 From US dial 011-374-93-99-80-99

November, 2013 San Francisco, CA-Recently, two new pianos were donated
to the Kanakeravan Art School by the St. Johns Armenian Church
parishioners and their Sayat Nova Cultural Committee.

In honor of the first year Anniversary of the ordination of the
Rev. Father Mesrob Ash, the Church held a Gala Concert with proceeds
benefiting the purchase of two new pianos for the Art School in the
village of Kanakeravan in Armenia’s Kotayk region. This project was
selected by the Sayat Nova Cultural Committee Members through The
Paros Foundation’s 100 for 100 Projects for Prosperity list of
projects.

“Students in the village of Kanakeravan were studying piano on
instruments that were in terrible condition.” Said Peter Abajian,
Executive Director of The Paros Foundation; “This is the second
project we were able to successfully implement at this music school
thanks to the support of our generous donors and friends.”

To both the excitement of the students and teachers the new pianos
were identified, purchased and delivered to the school prior to the
start of the 2013-14 school year. The Paros Foundation expresses its
deepest appreciation to the St. Johns Armenian Church parishioners,
the Sayat Nova Cultural Committee and Rev. Fr. Mesrob Ash for working
to ensure the success of this important project.

Please consider sponsoring a project in memory of the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, through the Paros Foundation’s
100 for 100 Projects for Prosperity, by visiting
The Paros Foundation underwrites all
administrative expenses allowing all sponsor contributions to be spent
100% on the project. Donations to The Paros Foundation, a 501(c) 3
non-profit organization, are tax-deductible to the fullest extent
allowed by law. When in Armenia, The Paros Foundation’s staff will
arrange a visit to and tour of your project.

Donations can be made online at
[] via credit card or check made
payable to: The Paros Foundation, and mailed to: 918 Parker Street,
Suite A14, Berkeley, CA 94710. Share this news with your friends! To
get involved and help make a difference, please donate now!

About The Paros Foundation

Officially launched in 2006, The Paros Foundation has identified and
partnered with six organizations in Armenia (The Paros Chamber Choir (
) [], Unison NGO (
[]), Vanadzor Arts School (
[]), Manana Youth Center (
[]), Vanadzor Museum of
Fine Art ( []) and the Ghoghanj
Children’s Center (
[]).) These organizations serve as
leaders in their respective fields of children, people with
disabilities and the arts. Foundation support comes in the form of
organizational operating funds, office space and organizational
resources and mentoring. The mission is to help these modest size
projects manage their growth and attract more financial, human, and
physical resources to their respective causes.

To honor the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, The Paros Foundation
launched The Paros 100 for 100 Projects for Prosperity initiative to
benefit Armenia and her people. 100 pre-screened, projects in the
areas of development, education, cultural and humanitarian will be
implemented to help make Armenia stronger and improve the lives of her
people. The Paros Foundation underwrote all administrative expenses
allowing 100% of donor contributions to go directly to the purchase of
these pianos. Donations to The Paros Foundation, a 501(c)3
organization are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

To sponsor a project of the Paros Foundation’s 100 for 100 Projects
for Prosperity, please visit
[].

PUTIN’S VISIT TO ARMENIA A MOVE TO SUPPORT JOINING CUSTOMS UNION – EXPERT

November 08, 2013 | 13:37

YEREVAN. – The visit of Russian president Vladimir Putin to Armenia
can be considered as a move to support joining Customs Union, Armenian
political analyst said.

“It is clear that it was Russian president’s offer that made Armenia
decide on joining Customs Union because of its own interests. There
are countries having problems not with Armenia, but first of all with
Russia. These are Belarus and Kazakhstan, and in this term Putin’s
visit may be a political message,” Segey Minasyan noted.

He said the visit may take place in December, not earlier because of
certain issues on Armenia-Russia relations that require explanations.

“On the other hand, the Armenian side that will continue its policy
of complementarity, having the European direction as a priority,
would not like to expect Putin’s visit before the Vilnius summit. The
results of the summit are important for the Russian side as well and
the timing of the visit is very logical,” he assured.

The Eastern Partnership summit will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania,
on November 28-29.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES EMAMOLII RAHMON ON REELECTION

November 08, 2013 | 18:21

YEREVAN. – Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan on Friday sent a
congratulatory message to Emamolii Rahmon on his victory in the
November 6 presidential elections in Tajikistan, president’s press
service said.

The incumbent president of Tajikistan Emamolii Rahmon was reelected
receiving 83.6 percent of votes.

CRIMINAL CHARGE BROUGHT AGAINST TSEGHAKRON PARTY LEADER

18:27 ~U 08.11.13

The leader of the Tseghakron (Race religion) party Shant Harutyunyan,
as well as a number of other people, detained as a result of the
clashes with police in Yerevan’s Mashtots Avenue, on November 5,
have been charged on point 2 of Count 316 of Armenia’s Criminal Code
(Resistance to the representative of the authorities while in the
line of duty or forcing him to perform obviously illegal actions,
committed with violence or threat thereof).

We would remind readers that thirty-eight citizens were detained
by the police during a march held by the leader of the Tseghakron
(Race religion) Shant Harutyunyan.

An investigation is under way.

Armenian News – Tert.am

KHRISTENKO: NAGORNO KARABAKH MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO JOIN CUSTOMS UNION ONLY AFTER SETTLEMENT OF CONFLICT WITH AZERBAIJAN

YEREVAN, November 7. /ARKA/. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic may be eligible
to join the Customs Union only after settlement of Karabakh conflict
and determination of its status, Viktor Khristenko, head of the
Eurasian Economic Commission, said Thursday as met with the Yerevan
State University’s professors and students.

Along with that, Khristenko stressed that the conflict can’t bar
Armenia from joining the Customs Union, and added that membership
would even improve things over Nagorno Karabakh.

Khristenko also turned to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s
recent remark.

The latter said at his meeting with representatives of CIS countries
that Azerbaijani authorities’ opinion should be taken into account
before accepting Armenia into the Customs Union, since there are many
unsolved problems between the two countries.

Khristenko said that Lukashenko has no right to comment on a statement
of the sovereign country president and added that only consent of
members of the Customs Union is needed to accept a candidate.

In early September, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and his Russian
counterpart, Vladimir Putin, made a joint statement, according to
which Armenia has decided to join the Customs Union and to take part
in formation of the Eurasian Union in the future.

Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Karabakh, mainly populated
by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.

On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet
Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority
of the population (99.89%) voted for secession from Azerbaijan.

Afterwards, large-scale military operations began. As a result,
Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven regions
adjacent to it.

Some 30,000 people were killed in this war and about one million
people fled their homes.

On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the
military operations.

Since 1992, talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group are being held over
peaceful settlement of the conflict. The group is co-chaired by USA,
Russia and France. -0—

– See more at:

EU POSITION ON ARMENIAN NPP WILL NOT CHANGE IN THE CONTEXT OF RECENT DECISIONS – EU ENERGY COMMISSIONER

November 08, 2013 | 00:15

EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger does not think that
EU position on Armenian NPP will change in the context of recent
decisions of the Armenian leadership.

“Armenia is an independent country, it is decision coming from their
government. We have to be objective and we have respect to every
decision,” he told the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent in Vilnius.

He mentioned that Armenia is a neighbor to EU and there are many
political, social and economic contacts that will continue.

Guenther Oettinger stressed it is necessary to come to common
understanding for safety and security, adding that the EU expertise
can be quite good advise to Armenia as well.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

PUTIN’S VISIT TO ARMENIA IS POLITICAL MESSAGE TO CUSTOMS UNION MEMBER STATES

16:20, 8 November, 2013

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. One of the goals of Russian
President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Republic of Armenia is to
support Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union. As reports
“Armenpress” political scientist Sergey Minasyan stated this at the
course of the press conference held on November 8. “Russian President
Vladimir Putin’s visit to Armenia is also a message for the Customs
Union member states, which have their own issues with Russia,” Sergey
Minasyan underscored.

In the result of the negotiations on September 3, 2013 in Moscow
the Presidents Sargsyan and Putin confirmed the aim of the Republic
of Armenia and the Russian Federation in the direction of further
development of economic integration processes in the Eurasian
territory. In that context the President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan announced about the Armenia’s decision to join the
Customs Union and the necessity of implementation corresponding steps
for that aim and in future about participating in formation of the
Eurasian economic union. The President of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Putin expressed his support to the abovementioned decision
of Armenia and informed about the readiness of the Russian side to
support the process.