Author: Badalian Vardan

DISCUSSIONS OVER TV ANCHOR’S DISMISSAL CONTINUE

06:40 pm | June 13, 2013 | Politics

The journalist community in Armenia continues discussing the dismissal
of TV anchor Armen Dulyan for a Facebook a post.

“Firing a journalist for his/her viewpoint is the same as firing a
doctor for treating a patient or a fireman for rescuing a person,”
Petros Ghazaryan, head of news programs at Kentron TV, said on June
13. He says that the employer has the right to recruit and hire anyone
but Dulyan’s dismissal gives rise to serious reflection.

Hakob Avetikyan, editor of Azg daily, is concerned over the situation
in TV companies.

“Our broadcasters should have distinct regulations,” he said.

Dulyan, a popular anchor at Shant TV, referred on his Facebook account
to the divorce of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife.

“The newly-founded Russian Public TV decided to make jokes related to
Putin’s divorce in yesterday’s show, but the program was immediately
banned. How can one joke about the president? It is like a coup
d’etat! How similar are the people in charge of TV content in both
countries by their level of primitivism…,” Dulyan wrote. On Monday
he was informed that the management of the TV company decided to fire
him for the post.

ARMENIAN ETHICS COMMITTEE REJECTS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL’S APPEAL

June 13, 2013 – 21:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia’s ethics committee rejected Transparency
International Anti-Corruption Center’s appeal regarding the violation
of ethical norms by MP Samvel Aleksanyan.

According to the committee’s decision, the appeal lacks documents
proving the violations committed.

On May 24, the center addressed the committee with a request to
consider the compliance of MP Aleksanyan’s conduct during Yerevan city
council elections with parliamentary ethical norms, with a relevant
internet video material cited as a proof.

“The committee considered the video material unlinked to the demands
listed in the appeal. However, according to the video, the MP’s visit
to the polling station served the purpose of monitoring the election
process,” the center’s report reads.

RUSSIA DAY ASSOCIATED WITH FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN RUSSIAN SOCIETY : ARMENIAN PM

YEREVAN, June 12./ARKA/. Russia Day is associated with the fundamental
changes which took place in political, economic and spiritual life
of the whole Russian society- creation of modern Russia, Armenian
prime minister Tigran Sargsyan said Wednesday on the reception on
the occasion of Russia Day.

The press service of the Armenian government reported Sargsyan
congratulated the reception attendees on behalf of the government
and wished to the brotherly Russian people peace and happiness.

“As a regular tradition we celebrate this day with our friends. This
is a very young but important holiday which is linked to the dramatic
changes in the history of Russia. Our nations have made a historical
choice to have a civil society, democratic institutions and state
modernization,” he said.

Sargsyan noted Russia Day is a holiday which unites all citizens of
this country, people of different generations and cultures.

“This is a holiday of each citizen who understands the country’s
prosperity also depends on his personal contribution,” he noted.

Sargsyan highlighted Armenia and Russia had not only managed to
maintain centuries-long brotherly and friendly relations, but also
to enhance the groundwork of the Armenian-Russian cooperation.

“It is important to expand our cooperation year over year through new
initiatives in political, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres,”
he said.

The head of the government believes the two countries will succeed
in expanding their cooperation. As an important pre-condition for
the progress in both countries, Sargsyan mentioned the further peace
building and stability in the region. -0- 13:21 12.06.2013

AMBASSADOR: “CHINA HAS NOT SOLD, IS NOT SELLING NOR WILL SELL OFFENSIVE ARMS TO ARMENIA”

APA, Azerbaijan
June 13 2013

Baku. Shamil Alibeyli – APA. China has not sold, is not selling nor
will sell offensive arms to Armenia, ambassador of China to Azerbaijan
Xun Tsiuin told journalists, APA reports.

According to him, the Chinese government reconfirms its support for
the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan: “At the same
time, we urge to implement the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

China supports the peaceful solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
basing on the international legal norms and the efforts of world
community in this regard.”

ARMENIAN STUDY CENTER TO DEBUT AT UCLA

Glendale News-Press (California)
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
June 12, 2013 Wednesday

Kelly Corrigan, Glendale News-Press, Calif.

June 12–An allotment of Armenian books and cultural artifacts linked
to the country’s history and diaspora following the 1915 genocide will
debut at UCLA in the first permanent research program of its kind
at any major American university dedicated to Armenian archaeology
and ethnography.

The collection was given to UCLA with a $2-million gift from Zaruhy
Sara Chitjian to establish a research program that will serve as a
major resource for scholars around the world on Armenia’s cultural
heritage, stakeholders announced this week.

Chitjian’s gift will pave the way for more research projects related
to Armenian history and anthropology and fund public lectures and
graduate-student conferences.

“Studying the ethnographic artifacts of recent age is an important
means of understanding the past of this still thriving culture,”
Chitjian said in a statement.

Named after Chitjian’s parents, the Hampartzoum and Ovsanna Chitjian
collection features letters and artifacts that will be housed at
UCLA’s Cotsen Institute under director Charles Stanish.

“Each acquisition not only provides insight into a small portion of
this tragic but heroic drama, but also provides a window into dozens
of new questions and areas of inquiry,” Stanish said in a statement
announcing the program.

Roughly 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks during
the Armenian genocide from 1915 to 1923 — an event that destroyed
cities and cultural artifacts.

Chitjian’s father survived the Armenian genocide, eventually making
his way to safety by walking through eastern Turkey.

“With the work at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, the Armenian
identity and Armenian people — past and present — can be respected
and appreciated for the contributions of their 3,000-year history,”
Chitjian said.

FORMER SYUNIK GOVERNOR TRIES TO PROVE INNOCENCE OF HIS SON

June 13, 2013 | 18:27

YEREVAN. – Former governor of Syunik Region Suren Khachatryan said
the only thing on his mind is how to prove innocence of his son.

“It was an armed assault. He was defending himself. I do not care
about the post. I am not recognized for having this post. I will
remain the soldier of my state and will continue doing everything
for Syunik Region,” Khachatryan told Henaran.am correspondent.

As informed earlier, shots were fired nearby Suren Khachatryan’s home
in Goris city, on June 2 at around 12:10am, as a result of which one
person was killed and two others sustained gunshot wounds and were
taken to Goris hospital. The person who died was Avo Budaghyan,
the former Goris mayoral candidate. The wounded are Budaghyan’s
brother Artak, and Nikolay Abrahamyan, a relative and bodyguard of
Khachatryan. Subsequently, the wounded were transferred to capital
city Yerevan.

ISKANDARIAN: TURKISH PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF ERDOGAN

Thursday,
June 13

The Turkish people are tired of Erdogan and the authoritarian regime
in the country, political scientist Alexander Iskandarian told
reporters today.

In his opinion, despite the fact that the protests involve more and
more people, those protest actions are unlikely to develop into a
revolution. “It is not an Arab Spring. The ruling party will be able
to overcome the situation,” Iskandarian said. According to him, Erdogan
stands a chance of wining the upcoming presidential election in Turkey.

The political scientist also said the Turkish Armenian community and
Armenians travelling to Turkey are not in danger.

TODAY, 17:03

Aysor.am

ARAM MANUKIAN ON OFFSHORE SCANDAL: IF MAN IS CLEAN, HE WILL PROVE IT

Thursday,June 13

Secretary of Armenian National Congress (HAK) parliamentary faction
Aram Manukian told reporters today that they have proposed that Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan should respond to all questions regarding
the offshore scandal.

“We proposed discussing together the issues related to him, but he
did not agree. If a man is clean, he will prove it in any place, but
they try to hush up crimes and support criminals at the state level.

The authorities are supporting people like Vardan Ghukasian and Suren
Khachatrian, that is to say, these men enjoy support at the state
level,” the deputy noted.

In the words of Aram Manukian, the authorities’ statement that there
is no opposition in Armenia and that the opposition is also responsible
for emigration was a manifestation of utmost cynicism.

“I don’t gloat. I wouldn’t like this to happen. If the emigration
surges and Armenians leave Armenia, then neither the parliament nor
the authorities are needed,” Manukian said.

NEW US POLL FINDS ALL-TIME LOW AMERICAN TRUST IN CONGRESS

US Congress building

Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:37AM GMT

The survey study further found that next to Congress, Americans
participating in the poll also expressed their lowest regards for
major healthcare providers, organized labor, corporate business,
major media outlets and big banks.”

A new US poll finds that American public trust in the nation’s
legislative body is down to a new all-time low of only 10 percent and
the lowest among 16 other major institutions mentioned in the study.

According to the survey study conducted by the prominent Gallup
Corporation in early June and released Thursday, the percentage of
Americans expressing confidence in US Congress “is the lowest for a
trend that dates back to 1973,” when it received its highest approval
rating on record, only 42 percent.

This is while the degree of confidence American people have expressed
about Congress has consistently been at its lowest points for the past
several years and slightly higher in the mid-1980’s and early 2000s.

The divided Congress between the two historically dominant political
parties, with Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans the
House, is one of the key reasons for the low levels of confidence
rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans express, and is tied to
American public frustrations with the institution’s inability to get
much done.

Democrats, independents, and Republicans are about equally likely to
express low confidence in Congress, Gallop observes, noting that it
likely reflects the split control of Congress between the dominant
rival parties.

The survey study further found that next to Congress, Americans
participating in the poll also expressed their lowest regards for
major healthcare providers, organized labor, corporate business,
major media outlets and big banks.

The very low public trust in US Congress found it the Gallup study
is quite consistent with findings of other survey studies in the past
year, measuring people’s confidence in the American legislative branch.

MFB/MFB – See more at:

MORNINGSTAR DIDN’T SUPPORT AZERBAIJAN’S ACCUSATIONS ON GROWING DRUGS IN NKR

13:55, 14 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS: To propagandize hatred towards Armenians,
the Azerbaijani authorities have often spread false information,
according to which drugs are being grown in the territory of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and then transferred to Azerbaijan
through the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Azerbaijan
Richard Morningstar, though, did not support the regular accusations
of the Azerbaijani authorities.

As reported by Armenpress, quoting the Azerbaijani APA news agency,
Richard Morningstar commented on the cultivation and transit of
drugs in the Azerbaijani territories, saying in particular that the
USA would be very much opposed to the growing and transporting drugs
from anywhere: “But we are not aware that these allegations in fact
are true”.

According to the Azerbaijani press, the Deputy Prime Minister of
Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov even accused the UN of the fact that the
authoritative organization “supports the Karabakh drug mafia”.