Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AT PACE: ‘I DO NOT GAMBLE IN CASINOS’

10.02.2013 19:21 epress.am

“Have you recently been in a casino in Europe […]and have you lost
70 million euros? Who gave you the money you lost?” asked Armenian
delegation member, Heritage Party MP Zaruhi Postanjyan to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan following his speech at the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg. She added
that Sargsyan stole the vote in the presidential election earlier
this year and thus, Postanjyan cannot ask him any other question
because he does not represent the Armenian people.

“You are known to the public as a gambler. And have you lost 70 million
euros? Who paid the money you lost for you? If that was not the amount,
then what was the amount of your loss in the casino?” she asked.

Sargsyan first said he’s “deeply convinced” that he does, in fact,
represent the Armenian people and he’s proud of it.

“Unfortunately, your candidate was not able to display the kind of
qualities one would need in a presidential election to be able to
represent the Armenian people.

“Your statement about a casino is another product of your imagination.

I have never been in any casino in Europe. I do not gamble in casinos.

Unfortunately, I do not have the means to manage 70 million euros. But
if I did, I would donate part of it to you to be happier with your
life and for so much evil not to accuulate in you. Consider that I
didn’t answer you[r question],” he said.

NEW PROJECT FOR SUPPORTING VETERINARY SERVICES LAUNCHED IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, October 2. /ARKA/. Armenia’s agriculture ministry and the
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched a joint pilot
project on Wednesday to provide technical and institutional support
to veterinary services in Armenia.

FAO Animal Production and Health Officer Andriy Rozstalny, speaking
at the launching ceremony held in Yerevan, said the project will be
implemented until 2015.

It will foster cooperation between the private and public sectors. It
also implies vaccination of animals for prevention of brucellosis.

Rozstalny said the project will be implemented in Syunik province.

Grigory Baghyan, first deputy agriculture minister of Armenia,
who spoke at the ceremony as well, said that this project came as
continuation of a pilot program implemented jointly with FAO in
2008in Syunik.

“Unfortunately, the project ceased then because of the lack of further
financing, and am very glad that the project got second wind today
thanks to donors, particularly the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC),” he said.

Zara Alaverdyan, representative of SDC in Armenia, on her side,
said the program will contribute to improvement of social situation
in the country’s remote areas.

“We have been cooperating with the Armenian agriculture ministry
for one decade,” she said. “I think this project will have favorable
impacts on social state of residents of Syunik province.”

The project’s budget amounts to $724,300. Its key beneficiaries are
farmers and villagers in Syunik province. —-0—

YEREVAN TO HOST INTERNATIONAL FENCING TOURNAMENT

An international fencing tournament dedicated to the 21st anniversary
of Armenia’s independence will be held in Yerevan on October 5-6.

Young fencers from Iran, Georgia, Kuwait, and Armenia will compete
at the event. The last time when an international fencing tournament
was held in Yerevan was back in 2000.

This event will be a qualification round for Armenia’s athletes. The
girls and boys to excel in this tournament will be included in the
national teams, which will train for the European Junior Championships
to be held in Budapest in February, the National Olympic Committee
of Armenia website said.

BOUND BY BONDS?: CONCERN VOICED OVER ISSUANCE OF “KARDASHIAN BONDS”

Economy | 02.10.13 | 16:25

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

Oppositional faction member MP Hrant Bagratyan believes it is
unacceptable that the government has sold Eurobonds without informing
and discussing it with the chief legislative body, while the chief
executive claims Armenia’s first step into the international money
market has proved to be a success.

Armenian National Congress faction MP Bagratyan made a statement
during the Thursday parliament session and asked everyone’s attention
to the fact that the government had earlier sold $700 million’s worth
of Eurobonds.

“It is unacceptable and I blame the entire government under the RA
President’s leadership, as well as the majority of this parliament.

How can a country’s debt increase by $700 million, turning from 44
to 53 percent, the total reaching 8.5 billion dollars, which is 90
percent of the GDP, without the knowledge of the National Assembly?”

said Bagratyan.

The finance ministry press release reports that on September 19 Armenia
placed its first, $700 million Eurobonds in the international capital
market with six percent interest rate and seven years’ term.

Among the CIS countries Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and the Ukraine
have done so, too.

Back in May Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that if the issuance
was a success; a new page would open in Armenia’s economic policy not
only in terms of administering the state funds, but also in enabling
the private sector to attract cheaper means from the international
money market. And besides, he said, it would let Armenia redeem its
$500-million debt to Russia.

On Friday, finance minister Davit Sargsyan reported that the demand
for Armenia’s first-time issued Eurobonds had crossed $3 billion.

“International experts have given highly positive assessments of the
first sovereign Eurobonds’ allocation results, and say Armenia’s entry
into the international capital market has proved to be successful,”
he said, adding that this issuance “diversifies the country’s sources
of finance and create a landmark to later be used by the issuers from
the republic’s private sector”.

Debt market experts have suggested that the Armenian dollar bonds in
the international stock exchange be circulated under American-Armenian
society lioness and TV star Kim Kardashian’s name.

New head of the IMF’s office in Yerevan Teresa Daban Sanchez told
RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) director Hrayr Tamrazyan in
an exclusive interview, that this is a “welcomed development”.

“This is a very welcome development. This is a serious success
for Armenia,” she said, adding that strong demand for the 7-year
dollar-denominated bonds testifies to investors’ confidence in
Armenia’s government and financial system: “But it also carries a lot
of responsibility and that is why we are here to help the authorities.”

Meanwhile, ‘Politeconomica’ (Political Economics) Research Institute
director Andranik Tevanyan told ArmeniaNow that the government is
leading an economic policy that reminds of a drug-addict’s ratings
and is doing nothing other than taking loans.

“The government needs a dose over and over again to be able to follow
the course it has in its mind, and whether we call it Eurobond or
Russian debt, that’s just a formality, debt is a debt,” says the
economist, adding that there are not trust concerns about the bond
issuance, as the debt comes with a rather high interest rate.

NATIONAL UNION OF EMPLOYERS OF ARMENIA AND FRENCH HIGHER ENGINEERING INSTITUTE IN ARMENIA SIGN COOPERATION MEMORANDUM

YEREVAN, October 2. / ARKA /. Armenia’s National Union of Employers
signed today a memorandum of cooperation with the French Higher
Engineering Institute in Armenia.

The document was signed by head of the union Gagik Makaryan and head of
the Association for Creation and Establishment of the Franco-Armenian
Institute of Civil Engineering Michel Gevorgyan.

The cooperation includes joint activities for personnel training and
modernization of enterprises.

“Many members of the union want to modernize their technology and
equipment and to improve productivity. This can be done through
cooperation with the French Higher Engineering Institute in Armenia,”
said Makaryan.

The French High Engineering Institute opened in Armenia in May this
year. The National Union of Employers, founded in 2007, comprises
more than 12,000 companies.–0-

18:30 02.10.2013

12-HOUR RALLY IN CENTRAL YEREVAN TO ADOPT LAW ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

10.02.2013 10:17 epress.am

The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women in Armenia Tuesday
delivered an open letter to the Armenian government, demanding it
adopt the RA Law on Domestic Violence.

The letter’s signatories point out that on Feb. 11, 2013, the
government did not consider it advisable to adopt the bill, ordering
the inclusion of the provisions of the bill in other legal acts. Now,
Coalition members are calling the government to act and fulfill
its commitments, which are reflected in the national Against Gender
Violence program and in several international instruments ratified
by Armenia.

The Coalition also hopes for RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s
direct support in recognizing Oct. 1 as the National Day to Combat
Domestic Violence.

In support of their claims, Coalition members, starting at 9 am on
Tuesday, began a 12-hour gathering outside the government building.

The need to recognize this day as the National Day to Combat Domestic
Violence is tied to the case of Zaruhi Petrosyan, who died three
years ago on Oct. 1, after being severely beaten by her husband.

“This case, of course, was not the only case in Armenia, but it set
a precedent, since it fostered the emergence of a discourse on the
prevalence of domestic violence in Armenia, news outlets’ coverage
of domestic violence incidents hidden in our society, and increased
public awareness of this phenomenon,” read a statement earlier issued
by the Coalition.

Asked by an Epress.am correspondent whether the Coalition collaborates
with political parties so that the adoption of the law is raised
also in parliament, Society Without Violence NGO Projects Manager
Anna Nikoghosyan said Coalition members try as much as possible
to collaborate with MPs and decision-making bodies. Without naming
specific names, Nikoghosyan stressed that there are MPs who are more
favorably inclined toward the bill, while others do not wish to see
the law passed.

She said they don’t want to get into politics but simply want the
government to fulfill its international and national obligations.

Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK Armenia) NGO President
Mamikon Hovsepyan likewise said the Coalition does not set out to
politicize or not politicize the issue. They simply want to achieve
the adoption of a preventative law, one which would be beneficial or
the whole society.

According to a 2008 Amnesty International poll, about 25% of women
in Armenia are victims of domestic violence, and most are unable to
access to the court system, safe shelter, and means of recovery.

According to the Armenian Police, in 2012, five women died as a result
of domestic violence, leaving behind12 children. In the same year,
there were 766 recorded cases of domestic violence, 621 of which were
against women.

According to official statistics, in the first nine months of 2013,
three women died as a result of domestic violence, leaving behind
six children.

Between 2011 and 2013, women’s rights NGOs received 8,012 reports of
domestic violence on their hotline number.

ZHOGHOVURD: VAZGEN KHACHIKIAN TO BE RELEASED UNDER AMNESTY

According to ‘Zhoghovurd’ paper, the upcoming amnesty will also
apply to the former head of Armenia’s State Social Security Service
Vazgen Khachikian and other people convicted in the criminal case of
embezzlement of funds. The paper notes that the matter concerns 20-30
persons, most of whom are members of the Republican Party of Armenia.

PROSECUTOR “PUZZLE”: PARLIAMENT VOTE ANOTHER CAUSE FOR QUESTIONS

News | 02.10.13 | 16:11

Photolure

By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter

The controversial closed-door parliament voting for Gevorg Kostanyan’s
candidacy as next Prosecutor General has raised another wave of heated
discussions, as two of the oppositional factions had pre-stated their
intentions to vote against the candidate, but the voting results show
only three Nay votes.

The total of 103 MPs have supported Kostanyan’s candidacy, three
voted against, two ballots were discarded as invalid, and 23 MPs did
not participate.

Armenian National Congress faction member Nikol Pashinyan has taken a
photo of his ballot with his choice against Kostanyan. He later posted
the photo on his Facebook page and wrote: “Predicting the outcome I
took a photo of my ballot. Turns out, I was right.” In an earlier
post Pashinyan described what had happened at the parliament as
“a political puzzle”.

>From Heritage faction Ruben Hakobyan and Alexander Arzumankyan took
part in the voting, who claim they have voted against; from ANC Aram
Manukyan, Stepan Demirchyan, Lyudmila Sargsyan, Gagik Jhangiryan,
Hrant Bagratyan and Nikol Pashinyan, all of whom claim that they,
too, have voted against Kostanyan. Heritage’s Tevan Poghosyan had an
appointment and could not attend the voting, Zaruhi Postanjyan and
Levon Zurabyan are in Strasburg to take part in the PACE sitting.

Human rights activist, Rational Reality initiative member Tsovinar
Nazaryan told RFE/RL that she is utterly disappointed by those MPs’
voting results, who had been claiming something quite different from
the parliament rostrum.

“This means that the negative system, let us call it conventionally
‘Matrix or Haylur Armenia’ is true not only about the authorities,
but the entire political field, when the system defends itself by
having their people in various places,” she says.

Yerevan city council member, Araratnews.am editor-in-chief David
Sanasaryan made a post on his Facebook wall: “Which other parliament
could have faced such a situation? We are unable to hold one voting,
and we are talking about election fraud? Even Galust [Republican Galust
Sahakyan] could have voted against, but the issue is not so much about
voting, as about people’s mentality, adherence to principles, ability
to stay loyal to one’s own trajectory… Now, you, a few oppositionists
are playing mafia, while the Prosecutor General is laughing out loud
at you and us… Either stick to your principles, or else… ”

SYRIACS HOPEFUL SCHOOL WILL REVERSE EXODUS TO EUROPE

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Oct 2 2013

Evgil Turker
2 October 2013 /TODAY’S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL

A recent court decision which found that it is legal for Syriacs to
open their own schools just like other non-Muslim communities defined
as minorities in the law has given new hope to the Syriac community
that thousands of Syriacs who have left Turkey might return.

Syriac Christians are at a disadvantage compared to Turkey’s Greek,
Jewish and Armenian communities because they cannot exercise some
of the rights enjoyed by other these groups that have “minority”
status as described in Articles 37-44 of the Lausanne Treaty of
1923. Opening schools is one of these rights. Recently though, the
Turabdin Syriac Culture and Solidarity Association applied to the
Mardin Education Directorate to open a school that will teach in
Syriac. The application comes shortly after a ruling of the Ankara
13th Administrate Court which said that Syriacs have the right to
open their own schools and they should be considered a “minority”
as defined by the Lausanne Treaty.

Syriacs hope this will reverse the exodus to Europe that started at
the beginning of the last century. In fact, many Syriacs from Europe
returned to Turkey in the mid-2000s, but instead of welcoming arms,
they were met with an attempt by the Turkish state to seize the Mor
Gabriel Monastery in Midyat — a Syriac church in the region that
had existed for 1,600 years in 2005.

The government on Monday announced that the Syriac community will be
given back full ownership rights of Mor Gabriel. The package also said
private educational institutions will be allowed to use non-Turkish
languages as the main language of education.

Schools are extremely important to ensure that minority communities
thrive. Head of the Federation of Syriac Associations Evgil Turker
was quoted by the Vatan daily on Thursday: “There are more than 3,000
Syriacs in Mardin and Midyat. We don’t want our language of 5,000
years to disappear. The reason why Syriacs stopped coming back was
because of the title issue with Mor Gabriel and because there are no
schools. We have talked to the teachers who teach Syriac at Mardin
Artuklu University, and they will also teach in the school.”

Sait Susin, head of the Beyoglu Syriac Church of Mother Mary,
also said there were plans to open a Syriac-language kindergarten
in Ä°stanbul for 150 students. “There are 25,000 Syriac Orthodox in
Turkey and 85 percent of them are in Ä°stanbul. We are looking for a
building for the kindergarten. We are thinking of opening a primary,
secondary and high school after that.”

According to a recent publication from the History Foundation, there
were 29 schools belonging to the Syriac Community in Turkey in 1914.

Syriacs, with members who sometimes also refer to themselves as
Assyrians or Arameans and occasionally the Qeldani, are an ethnic
community indigenous to Turkey’s Southeast and other parts of
Mesopotamia.

VISA FACILITATION DEAL IS ALL ARMENIA CAN GET FROM EU: EXPERT

October 2, 2013 – 14:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – At present, the main threat to the Sochi Olympiad
success emanates from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict region, a political
analyst said.

According to Alexander Skakov, the conflict will inevitably destabilize
the situation in adjacent regions of Georgia and Northern Caucasus
to further affect the safety as well as moral and physiological
environment of the 2014 Olympiad.

“Clearly, the escalation of conflict will put an end to the OSCE Minsk
Group’s mediation activities, showcasing its complete inconsistency.

However, there seem to be no other volunteers to assume responsibility
for the future of the Caucasus. Potentially, CSTO, EU or NATO could
do the job. CSTO’s lack of clear agenda makes it hard to determine
the organization’s potential. The dangers of NATO’s regional presence
have already been suggested, leaving EU as the only candidate, with
its much-hyped Eastern Partnership project.

With Belarus and Azerbaijan left outboard, Armenia, Georgia and
Moldova became the locomotives in the Eastern Partnership integration
initiative, setting certain hopes on a possible EU membership.

European officials, however, strongly question that possibility.

With no legal document expected to be signed in Eastern Partnership
framework, the only thing Armenia can hope for is the visa regime
facilitation deal,” the expert noted.

Free trade zone could also be an attractive possibility, however
the latter requires production of competitive goods for the European
market. However, should the deal work, EU would get a chance to reduce
the expansion of the Eurasian Union, also decreasing Russia’s spere
of influence, the expert concluded.