Author: Badalian Vardan

Today is William Saroyan’s 105th birth anniversary

15:31 31.08.2013

William Saroyan

Today is the 105th birth anniversary of great American Armenian writer
William Saroyan.

William Saroyan was born on August 31, 1908 in Fresno, California to
Armenak and Takoohi Saroyan, Armenian immigrants from Bitlis, Ottoman
Empire. His father came to New York in 1905 and started preaching in
Armenian Apostolic Churches.

At the age of three, after his father’s death, Saroyan, along with his
brother and sister, was placed in an orphanage in Oakland, California.
Five years later, the family reunited in Fresno.

Saroyan decided to become a writer after his mother showed him some of
his father’s writings. A few of his early short articles were
published in Overland Monthly. His first stories appeared in the
1930s.

Among these was `The Broken Wheel’, written under the name Sirak
Goryan and published in the Armenian journal Hairenik in 1933. Many of
Saroyan’s stories were based on his childhood experiences among the
Armenian-American fruit growers of the San Joaquin Valley or dealt
with the rootlessness of the immigrant. The short story collection My
Name is Aram (1940), an international bestseller, was about a young
boy and the colorful characters of his immigrant family. It has been
translated into many languages.

As a writer, Saroyan made his breakthrough in Story magazine with The
Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (1934), the title taken from
the nineteenth century song of the same title. The protagonist is a
young, starving writer who tries to survive in a Depression-ridden
societ

Saroyan published essays and memoirs, in which he depicted the people
he had met on travels in the Soviet Union and Europe, such as the
playwright George Bernard Shaw, the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius,
and Charlie Chaplin. In 1952, Saroyan published The Bicycle Rider in
Beverly Hills, the first of several volumes of memoirs.

Saroyan died in Fresno, of cancer at age 71. Half of his ashes were
buried in California and the remainder in Armenia at Komitas Pantheon
near film director Sergei Parajanov.

Baku misrepresenting Yerevan as Azerbaijani city – historian

15:52 – 31.08.13

The Azerbaijani historians are in active efforts to represent Yerevan
as a one-time Azerbaijani city to the world, a history professor has
said, sharing his impressions of a recent conference in Moscow.

Gevorg Melkonyan, who introduced the Armenian Genocide issue at the
conference of young scholars from the CIS and Baltic states (Aug
21-29), told reporters on Saturday that his speech devoted to the
topic was not surprisingly enough interrupted by any Azerbaijani
participant.

`The Azerbaijani representative spoke about our country. He said the
Armenians were not indigenous people as they had come from Europe.
References were made to ancient Greek sources. They later introduced
Western Armenia as the main homeland of the Armenians, saying that the
Armenians later came to Eastern Armenia to settle, in quotes, on an
Azerbaijani territory,’ he said.

As for an Azerbaijani historian’s remark that Yerevan used to be an
Azerbaijani city which the country gave to the Armenians upon the
latter’s request, Melkonyan said the speech provoked a big laughter
among the participants.

`Everybody knew about the Urartian history and the ancient Urartian
culture. Responding to the audience, they said `we have documents
which are in archive, so come and study them’,’ Melkonuan remembered.

Another ridiculous moment, he said, was the historian’s speech devoted
to the History of Ancient Azerbaijani tribes.

`An acclaimed Russian historian interrupted him and asked to name at
least a couple of tribes. He gave Iranian tribes’ names, to which the
Russian historian responded, `We don’t understand if you are an
Azerbaijani or an Iranian’. So the speech didn’t take place,’ he said.

Melkonyan said further that unlike most of the participants, the
representatives from the Baltic states believed in the Azerbaijanis’
stories about the `Khojalu events’.

`The Azerbaijani propaganda machine worked quite well here, so we have
to learn lessons from all this. They are almost putting an equal sign
between the Sumgait events and Khojalu,’ he said, noting that the
Azerbaijani made no single remark about Nagorno-Karabakh at the
meeting.

Armenian News – Tert.am

VARTAN OSKANIAN’S SON WAS DETAINED

Pastinfo informs referring to reliable sources that on August 29 the
ex-foreign minister Vartan Oskanian’s son and his friend were arrested
near a bar on Khanjyan Street for using drugs. They were searched,
nothing was found on Ara Oskanian whereas there was some white powder
in his friend’s telephone shell. The powder has been submitted for
examination. The detainees have been set free, no proceedings have
been launched but files are being prepared.

We have learned that Ara Oskanian’s neam features in another case
of drug sale. In response to our inquiry the RA police department
of public relations and information promised to check out and share
the information.

Pastinfo 13:56 30/08/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

ARMENIA’S COGNAC PRODUCTION GREW 3.6% TO 9,578.6 LITERS IN JANUARY-JULY

YEREVAN, August 30. /ARKA/. Armenia’s cognac production rose by 3.6%
to a total of 9,578,600 liters in January-July 2013, compared to the
same period the year before, ArmStat reported.

Wine production rose by 30.1% to 2,962,700 liters in the reporting
period.

Vodka production dropped by 10.4% to 4,718,500 liters in January-July.

A total of 145,400 litres of champagne was produced in the period,
a 2.7-time increase against January-July 2012.

Beer production totaled 9,385,800 litres, which is a 13.3% reduction.

A total of 27,170,300 litres of non-alcoholic beverages was
manufactured in the period, an increase of 33.2% compared to
January-July the year before. -0–

– See more at:

THE TRUTH ABOUT “ORIGINAL” AZERBAIJANI LANDS

Friday, 30 August 2013 09:57

Recently, ex-speaker of the Slovak Parliament Frantisek Miklosko has
published the book “Signs of the Time”, in which he has expressed
a significant idea. Noting that the Christian values in Europe
are fading with days and the future of Christianity is in danger,
he called upon Europe to defend its faith, recommending to start it
from Karabakh. According to him, Karabakh is the gate and stronghold
of the world Christianity and the Christian world should stand up
and fight for it.

Knowing the habits of the Azerbaijani authorities, it was easy
to predict that they would hardly leave this “seditious”, by the
definition of official Baku, opinion without attention.

The reaction was immediate. “Nagorno-Karabakh is an original
Azerbaijani land, and someone’s presentation of this land as Christian
is absolutely wrong”, snarled in strict accordance with the spirit of
the official Azerbaijani propaganda vice-speaker of the Azerbaijani
Parliament Bahar Muradova. This was followed by a naive and touching
summary: “Apparently, these words are caused by the lack of knowledge
of Azerbaijan’s history and come only from religious beliefs”.

Maybe Muradova’s categorical statement about Mr. Mikloshko’s ignorance
regarding the history of Azerbaijan isn’t groundless. After all,
the former speaker of the Slovakian Parliament meant the history
of ancient Christian Artsakh-Karabakh, which has no relation to the
Azerbaijani state artificially created just at the beginning of the
last century by Turkish bayonets, which was neatly called scrappy
by Russian General Denikin. He called it so for the fact that it was
established on the lands annexed from the Armenians, Avars, Talysh,
Tats and other indigenous peoples of the South Caucasus.And that’s
why the term “original Azerbaijani land”, which is very often used
by the Azerbaijani different-level figures, is just nonsense.

As is known, history has long become a political tool for Azerbaijan.

Baku does not cease its efforts to convert other people’s past into
politics, more precisely – into political dividends, in particular,
trying to justify its unfounded claims for Nagorno Karabakh. By the
way, its claims are not only for Karabakh. Ilham Aliyev, speaking
from different tribunes, including international, affords free,
openly criminal treatment of history. He has repeatedly stated that
both Nagorno Karabakh and present Armenia were established in the
Azerbaijani territories. The Erevan Khanate, Mahalia Geycha, Zangezur
are our historic regions”.

Not only reputable scientists, but even middle-level historians would
call such verbal exercises the fruit of the sick imagination of the
Azerbaijani paranoid government and quasi-scientists. We’d like to
ask Aliyev: when Armenia had relations with Ancient Rome and even
fought with it, was it taking place on the “original Azerbaijani
lands?” Or, were they “original Azerbaijani lands”, on which were
built the thousands-old Armenian churches, which are still standing
in Armenia and Artsakh, preserving, which is curiously enough,
Armenian inscriptions on their walls? Or, maybe Azerbaijanis spoke the
Armenian language in those ancient times? However, the history keeps
modest silence on this. As if in mockery of Azerbaijan, on August 18,
within the annual forum Meeting di Rimini with the participation of the
Prime Minister of this country, the 34th meeting started in Italy, the
program of which, along with scientific and cultural events, included
also the conference “Armenia is the cradle of Christianity”. Within
the conference, the presentation of the photo-album ‘Armenia’ and
opening of the exhibition dedicated to Armenia and Artsakh took place.

But, let us return to our sheep. It is time to advise Aliyev and
his illiterate camarilla to learn the basics of the history. It
indisputably testifies that Nagorno Karabakh, or in Armenian Artsakh,
was a province of historic Armenia in the ancient times, which
is confirmed by the works of ancient authors – Strabo, Pliny the
Elder, Claudius Ptolemy, Plutarch, and others. That as a result of
dividing Armenia between Byzantium and Persia in 387, the territory
of Eastern Transcaucasia, including Artsakh, went to Persia, however,
despite the Persian domination, all the five principalities of Artsakh
preserved their sovereignty. That they were formally united into the
Karabakh Khanate within Persia, which, surely, had nothing common with
Azerbaijan, as presented today by the Azerbaijani party. For the simple
reason that such a state didn’t merely exist that time. That only in
the middle of the XVIII century the Turkic element in the face of wild
nomadic tribes began to penetrate in the northern regions of Karabakh,
bringing wars and destruction to the region. That according to the
Gulistan treaty signed in 1813 between Russia and Persia, Karabakh
passed to the Russian Empire. However, after the October Revolution
of 1917, as a result of an illegal resolution by the Bolshevik Party
leadership, Nagorno-Karabakh, against the will of its indigenous
Armenian population, was transferred to Soviet Azerbaijan in the
early 20’s, which led to the emergence of the Karabakh problem.

We won’t state that the Azerbaijani authorities do not know the
history of the region. Surely, they know, but deliberately distort
it, trying to mislead the international community with far-reaching
political goals. And we haven’t made this little historical excursion
for them, because to teach them historical lessons means to cast pearls
before swine. One should respect the history, and not only his own,
but also others’. But, is it possible to urge Azerbaijan to respect
the history of other nations, if it doesn’t respect its own?

Appropriating somebody else’s history, Azerbaijan actually refuses
of its own history, displaying apparent disdain for it. It does not
matter, whether it is poor or non-presentable – it’s yours, and you
cannot refuse of it. One should recognize his own history and extract
useful lessons from it, if necessary, to come to terms with it –
only in this case, he can clear himself and build the present and
the future without forgetting the past. Certainly at peace with his
neighbors in the region.

Leonid MARTIROSSIAN

Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper

ARMENIA’S RULING PARTY INSTRUCTED TO DIVULGE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT TEXT – EX-PM

12:00 30.08.13

In an interview with Tert.am, a former prime minister of Armenia,
Hrant Bagratyan, has addressed the prospects and the possible negative
impact of the Association Agreement signing. He said particularly
that members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia have been
instructed to divulge the full text of the document. Bagratyan,
who is now a lawmaker of the opposition Armenian National Congress,
also made his comments on President Serzh Sargsyan’s recent statement
on raising the minimal salaries to 90,000 ($221) Drams until 2017.

Mr Bagratyan, as a member of the National Assembly, what information do
you have about the Association Agreement? Have you asked to Ministry
of Foreign Affairs for a copy and what was their response if they
didn’t give you one?

I don’t need to apply to the Foreign Ministry. As a member of Euranest,
I attended the discussion devoted to the economic bloc of the Agreement
in Brussels at the end of May. The head of the NA Foreign Relations
Committee, as well as representatives of the ruling political party
were asked to make the full text public.

Chairperson of the European Integration Committee Naira Zohrabyan said
she has turned Stefan Fule, European Commissioner for Enlargement and
European Neighbourhood Policy, who promised to unveil the document
once the appropriate moment arrives. Do you think that appropriate
moment is the period proceeding or following the initialing process?

Ms Zohrabyan attended the Brussels discussions too. I cannot make
any comments on Stefan Fule’s words.

There are advocates of the Association Agreement initialing, as
well as peope who oppose [to the process]. Yet, there is a third
group which claims that unless the document is in the public domain,
nobody can insist whether any of the integration trends in question
is useful or right for Armenia. Your opinion.

I expressed my opinion as a presidential candidate back in February.

It essentially differed from the approaches of the candidates who
ranked the first and second [Serzh Sargsyan and Raffi Hovhannisyan].

First, such questions have to be resolved only through a referendum
(I have brought the Czech Republic’s experience). Secondly, no one
signed any document in this historic period, obliging Armenia Armenia
to make sovereignty concessions. To the best of my knowledge, the
document at issue does not diminish our sovereignty’ neither does it
prevent us from fulfilling the obligations which we have undertaken
in relation to other countries. But I say again, that’s to the best
of my knowledge. The rest has to do with the referendum.

What’s your personal attitude to the signing of the EU Association
Agreement? Does the parliamentary faction representing the Armenian
National Congress have a consensual approach to acceding or refusing
to accede to the Agreement?

If that’s the text which I know, it can be signed after the
referendum. As for the ANC party, I would simply ask you to turn
to them.

Can you say what economic prospect the initialing of the Association
Agreement can ensure for Armenia?

Economically, it will enable both us and the Europeans to facilitate
the economic ties and the trading. After all, the Europeans are on
average economically better organized than we are. That will first
offers advantages to them. As to whether or not we will manage to
have more benefits in future, I have no idea about that. I don’t
think it succeeds.

Speak of your ideas on possible reactions and counter-measures by
Russia. Will that reduce Russia’s economic presence in Armenia,
and how will that affect Armenia’s economy?

It’s possible that no developments will follow. But a surge in the
natural gas prices and the enforcement of other regimes in relation
to the Armenian products – in the export of the Armenian brandy
or agricultural produce, for instance – is also possible. The most
dangerous thing is the possible bans on the transfers from Russia,
the technical-military cooperation and the restriction of the Russian
imports.

The Armenian President promised to raise the salaries to 90,000 Drams
until 2017. Do you consider that realistic and if so, what resources
will be used to make it possible?

In my presidential platform I offered 111,000 Drams (for 2017), but
the legal proposal offered 72,5000 Drams beginning 2013. The bills
were rejected, but it is the president that makes such a proposal. The
approach is interesting in this respect. Also, it is interesting that
the government’s five-year program submitted to the National Assembly
as early as four months ago envisaged a minimal salary of 65,000 Drams
($160), I think. And all of a sudden, the president says something
different from what the government proposes. His approach is more
like ours. And for us, the rights policies on the minimal salary
are a powerful tool to reduce the shadow economy. By and large, an
increase of the minimal salary has nothing to do with the rise of
the real wages.

It’s quite possible that the expected constitutional reforms will
result in a transition to a parliamentary government. So look, if
the country faces a political dilemma, that happens only in the case
of presidential elections. As for parliamentary polls, their outcome
is always predetermined. Winners are always the rich and the district
authorities, sometimes even the mafia representatives. The elimination
of the strong presidential institute can lead to a loss of state.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT TO PAY WORKING VISIT TO RUSSIA

12:38, 30 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of the working
visit the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan will
have a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir
Putin in Moscow on September 3. The Media and Public Relations
Department of the Office of the President of the Republic of Armenia
informed “Armenpress” that it is considered that at the course of
the negotiations the interlocutors will exchange ideas regarding the
main issues of the bilateral agenda including the cooperation in the
political, economical, energy and humanitarian spheres.

Among other things it is considered to hold a discussion regarding the
issues of integration procedures in the CIS, security and stability
in the South Caucasus.

UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE DISCOVERED IN ARMENIAN PROFESSOR’S OFFICE

August 30, 2013 | 11:35

YEREVAN. – An unknown substance was discovered in the office of the
dean of Yerevan State University.

Pavel Balayan, dean of the Russian Philology Faculty, confirmed the
reports for Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The substance discovered in his office has not been identified yet,
he said, refusing to further comment on the incident.

Currently, the office door is sealed. Law enforcement agencies are
investigating the incident.

Agency’s attempts to get clarified information about the incident have
failed. According to one version, a substance containing mercury was
left in the office by an unknown.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

REVUE DE PRESSE N2 – 29/08/13 – COLLECTIF VAN

Publie le : 29-08-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN [Vigilance
Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] vous propose une revue de presse
des informations parues dans la presse francophone, sur les thèmes
concernant la Turquie, le genocide armenien, la Shoah, le genocide
des Tutsi, le Darfour, le negationnisme, l’Union europeenne, Chypre,
etc… Nous vous suggerons egalement de prendre le temps de lire ou
de relire les informations et traductions mises en ligne dans notre
rubrique Par
ailleurs, certains articles en anglais, allemand, turc, etc, ne sont
disponibles que dans la newsletter Word que nous generons chaque jour.

Pour la recevoir, abonnez-vous a la Veille-Media : c’est gratuit !

Vous recevrez le document du lundi au vendredi dans votre boîte email.

Bonne lecture.

Collectif VAN : l’ephemeride du 29 août Info Collectif VAN –
– La rubrique “Ephemeride” du Collectif VAN a
ete lancee le 6 decembre 2010. Elle recense la liste d’evenements
survenus a une date donnee, a differentes epoques de l’Histoire, sur
les thematiques que l’association suit au quotidien. L’ephemeride du
Collectif VAN repose sur des informations en ligne sur de nombreux
sites (les sources sont specifiees sous chaque entree). “29 août
1985 — Le caractère genocidaire des massacres du peuple armenien en
1915-1916 a ete reconnu dans un rapport de l’ONU sur la question de
la prevention et de la repression du crime de genocide etabli par la
Commission des droits de l’homme – Sous-Commission de la lutte contre
les mesures discriminatoires et de la protection des minorites – lors
de la 38e session du Conseil economique et social de l’ONU. Ce rapport,
connu du nom de son rapporteur Benjamin Whitaker, a ete approuve par
la Commission des droits de l’homme de l’ONU le 29 août 1985″.

Ce que revèle l’affrontement verbal entre Recep Tayyip Erdogan et
Bernard-Henri Levy La facon dont Bernard-Henri Levy a definitivement
regle son compte a Recep Tayyip Erdogan devrait faire fremir le Quai
d’Orsay. En juin, alors que Erdogan etait hue par les manifestants,
des instructions en interne avaient ete transmises aux diplomates,
universitaires et autres agents en poste en Turquie, leur demandant
d'”eviter la focalisation sur le Premier ministre turc”, autrement dit,
de ne pas critiquer publiquement l’homme fort de Turquie.

En Syrie, une situation diplomatique qui evoque la crise au Kosovo
La crise syrienne se presente mal sur le plan diplomatique : l’ONU
paralysee par l’opposition russe ; une reflexion difficile sur le
cadre legal d’une intervention et ses objectifs realistes ; enfin,
des negociations politiques impossibles entre les belligerants. Ces
paramètres existaient dans le cas du Kosovo, au printemps 1999. Le
parallèle entre les deux crises est esquisse ces derniers jours, a
Washington comme en Europe. “C’est 1999 en Syrie”, ecrit le ministre
des affaires etrangères kosovar, Enver Hoxhaj.

Entretien telephonique entre les ministres turc et britannique des
AE sur la Syrie Le ministre turc des Affaires etrangères, Ahmet
Davutoglu, s’est entretenu par telephone mercredi soir avec son
homologue britannique William Hague sur le dossier syrien, a rapporte
jeudi l’agence de presse turque Anadolu.

Les Armeniens de Syrie de plus en plus inquiets ” La communaute
armenienne est inquiète “, a declare Zarmig Boghikian, une femme qui
travaille dans un magazine local armenien Gandzasar.”

Nous sommes neutres mais inquiets. Les dirigeants de la communaute
armenienne disent aux gens d’etre prudents et de ne pas quitter leurs
maisons, surtout dans les prochains jours. Beaucoup de gens pensent
fuir mais c’est impossible de le faire maintenant parce que les routes
sont fermees “, a ajoute Boghigian.

Trois pilotes enleves au Darfour liberes Trois pilotes enleves par
une faction de l’Armee de liberation du Soudan (SLA) il y a un mois
au Darfour, ont ete liberes, a declare mercredi le vice-gouverneur
de l’Etat du Darfour-Sud, Mahdi Boash.

Syrie : l’armee turque placee en etat d’alerte Ahmet Davutoglu, le
ministre des Affaires etrangères, a declare que la Turquie a mis en
etat d’alerte ses forces armees et a l’intention de prendre toutes les
mesures necessaires pour proteger ses interets en cas d’intervention
en Syrie. Au meme moment, Ankara met en place de nouvelles capacites
d’accueil pour recevoir au moins 20.000 nouveaux refugies. Quelque
200.000 refugies syriens sont deja presents en Turquie dans une
vingtaine de camps qui s’echelonnent le long des 900 kilomètres de
frontière avec la Syrie, et quelque 300.000 autres sont heberges hors
de ces camps.

David Babayan commente la declaration de Gul ” Une telle approche est
destructrice et n’a pas d’avenir ” a rapporte David Babayan chef du
Departement de l’information generale de la Presidence de l’Artsakh
commentant la declaration faite par le President turc Abdullah Gul,
dans laquelle il a exprime son espoir ” qu’un jour nous nous reunirons
tous dans l’une des villes du Haut-Karabagh “.

Retour a la rubrique

ANASTASSIA VOLOTCHKOVA OUVRE UN CENTRE DES BEAUX-ARTS A EREVAN

ARMENIE

Artiste emerite de la Federation de Russie Anastasia Volochkova
a etabli le centre des beaux-arts qui porte son nom a Erevan. La
ceremonie d’ouverture du centre se tiendra le 15 Septembre.

Anastasia Volochkova assistera a la ceremonie d’ouverture. Elle s’est
engagee dans le processus de creation du centre depuis 2011 avec
un groupe de professionnels. Anastasia Volochkova est une celèbre
danseuse russe.

vendredi 30 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com