Author: Badalian Vardan

REPUBLIQUE DU HAUT KARABAGH
L’Azerbaïdjan a violé à 220 reprises le cessez-le-feu la semaine
écoulée à sa frontière avec le Haut Karabagh

Le ministère de la Défense de la République du Haut Karabagh a informé
que lors de la semaine écoulée, du 19 au 25 mai, l’Azerbaïdjan a violé
à 220 reprises le régime du cessez-le-feu signé en 1994. Plus d’un
millier de projectiles « d’armes de diverses dimensions » ont été
tirés en direction des positions arméniennes frontalières. A chaque
fois, après les « réponses appropriées » des forces arméniennes,
l’ennemi a arrêté ses tirs. Les forces arméniennes de la République du
Haut Karabagh tiennent fermement leurs positions malgré ces
provocations azéries.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 26 mai 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Le Vif , Belgique
22 mai 2013

Edouard Jakhian, un grand vivant

Marie-Cecile Royen
mercredi 22 mai 2013 à 12h44

Edouard Jakhian, btonnier de Bruxelles, est décédé ce mardi 21 mai.

Une silhouette déliée de jeune homme, un verbe de feu. Me Edouard
Jakhian ne ressemblait à personne. Quand il prenait la parole à une
tribune, un fleuve de mots ardents et profonds se déversait sur
l’auditoire, très loin de ce qu’il appelait “la pensée convenue” et
qu’il abhorrait.

Né en Belgique en 1935, pur Bruxellois, ne sachant pas où se
trouvaient ses racines dans l’ancien Empire ottoman – un blessure
toujours vive, la marque d’un “génocide réussi” selon lui-, il
transportait dans toute sa personne son arménitude. La magnificence de
son expression et l’architecture élégante et forte de sa pensée
évoquaient ces architectes arméniens de génie qui ont parsemé de leurs
édifices la Turquie actuelle. Lui-même avait `uvré fortement à la tête
du Comité des Arméniens de Belgique pour que l’Eglise apostolique
arménienne dispose d’un beau lieu de culte, rue Kindermans, à
Bruxelles.

Ne pas connaître ses ancêtres, pour quelqu’un qui avait tant de choses
à transmettre à ses enfants et petits-enfants, devait être un
supplice. Il était l’héritier d’une culture plus de deux fois
millénaire. Pourtant, il n’a jamais été gagné par l’amertume. La
colère, le chagrin et l’indignation, ça, oui. Mais il disait que les
enfants de bourreaux ne devaient pas souffrir du fait des enfants de
victimes. S’il se battait pour la reconnaissance du génocide des
Arméniens et la pénalisation de la négation de celui-ci, il savait
prendre de la hauteur et ouvrir son coeur. Son rêve, son rêve secret,
aurait été de retrouver, pour leur rendre hommage, ces Justes de
Turquie qui ont aidé à sauver des vies arméniennes quand la barbarie
s’abattait sur elles: plus d’un million de personnes massacrées ou
déportées vers le désert de Syrie entre 1915 et 1917. Il était
infiniment touché quand 30 000 Turcs se manifestèrent pour réclamer la
reconnaissance par la Turquie actuelle de la “grande Catastrophe”,
après l’assassinat du journaliste turc arménien Hrant Dink par un
nationaliste turc, en 2007. Il distribuait à ses amis L’appel au
pardon de Gengiz Aktar (CNRS). Avec les barreaux de Bruxelles et de
Paris, il avait porté devant la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme
– et obtenu une condamnation- l’étrange léthargie de l’enquête turque
sur l’assassinat de Hrant Dink. Il ne s’arrêtait jamais et ne limitait
pas ses efforts à la seule cause arménienne. Il était le frère de
celle des Juifs et des Tutsis.

Cet homme extraordinaire avait, bien sûr, plusieurs vies sociales, en
plus d’avoir été btonnier au barreau de Bruxelles et plaidé dans des
affaires retentissantes comme le procès Agusta-Dassault. Il avait
présidé la Fondation Bernheim. Décidé à rapprocher la justice du
citoyen après l’affaire Dutroux, il avait, avec d’autres, suscité la
création de l’Institut d’études sur la justice. Après quelques années
de colloques de haut vol, l’IEJ a donné naissance au site
Justice-en-ligne qui a trouvé un public avide d’informations sur la
justice.

A la Fondation Bernheim, Edouard Jakhian a également impulsé une
recherche scientifique sur un sujet rare: le courage. Sa conclusion
était que le courage, dont la conception varie au fil du temps, est
stimulé par l’exemple. Il aurait voulu qu’un prix soit décerné afin de
l’encourager concrètement. Homme indépendant, il était également très
préoccupé par la vie publique belge et la politisation effrénée de ses
institutions. Sous son impulsion, la Fondation Bernheim y a consacré
une recherche scientifique décapante et terriblement décevante pour
notre pays. Finalement, Me Jakhian admirait les Etats-Unis et la
Suisse, parce que ces deux pays s’efforcent de se laisser guider par
des valeurs: liberté, justice, excellence.

Son intransigeance morale était le contraire d’une pénitence. C’était
un homme gai, débordant d’anecdotes, aimant le cinéma, les beaux
livres (Proust, La mandoline du capitaine Corelli, de Louis de
Bernières, qui résumait si bien son tropisme oriental), les personnes,
les dames blanches… Une présence.

Classical performances in New York highlight Armenian talents
by Lucy Ishkanian

Published: Saturday May 25, 2013

Armenian clergy and community members with performers Narine Ojakhyan,
Nune Melikian, Karen Hakobian, and composer Konstantin Petrossian.

NEW YORK – The spectacular “Musical Armenia” concert that took place
in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on April 19, sponsored by the
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Prelacy Ladies Guild,
thrilled and mesmerized the capacity audience and once again
reaffirmed the high standards and caliber of the exciting talented
artists presented by the “Musical Armenia” concert series.

This long-established annual concert series was conceived with the
purpose of introducing and supporting exceptional young Armenian
musicians already on the threshold of a professional career. Founded
by Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian thirty years ago, this jubilee
anniversary concert was dedicated to His Eminence’s cherished memory.

The new artists being presented at this concert were soprano Narine
Ojakhyan and violinist Nune Melikian, with the musical collaboration
of pianist Karén Hakobian.

Opening the program, soprano Narine Ojakhyan immediately impressed the
audience with her powerful voice and dignified stage presence,
conveying total musical authority and confidence. The demanding
program, superbly sung, included rarely heard works by present-day
Armenian composers, Edward Abrahamian and Geghuni Chitchian; operatic
arias and lyrical songs by Sergei Rachmaninov, Leo Delibes, Armen
Tigranian, (long neglected poignant, beautiful aria, “Assoom en oorin”
sung by Anoush, from the opera, “Anoush”), Komitas Vartabed, Aram
Khachaturian, Franz Lehar and Charles Gounod. Narine graciously
offered a special encore by composer Konstantin Petrossian.

Miss Ojakhyan has great projection of sound, possesses a strong,
dramatic, vibrant voice, with an unusual diapason (vocal range). Her
amazing vocal technique and breath control was able to dispel without
any difficulty the seemingly impossible vocal demands, securely
conquering the vocal leaps and highest soprano notes. Together with
her expressive, emotional intensity and professionalism, she
electrified and thrilled the awe-inspired audience.

It is most unusual to have the pleasure of hearing two equally
talented, attractive, exciting artists on the same program.

Violinist Nune Melikian also performed a very difficult and demanding
program. The attentive audience was transfixed by her spectacular
technical mastery and sensitive musicality. Her program began with the
lyrical, introspective “Adagio” from Alessandro Marcello’s Oboe
Concerto, arranged for violin by Albert Markov. This contemplative,
serene atmosphere was contrasted by the intense, dramatic “Sonata” for
violin and piano by Arno Babadjanian, which he had dedicated to
composer Dmitri Shostakovich. The occasional reminiscences of Armenian
melodies underlying the modern harmonic sequences and architectural
compositional form, unique to Arno Babadjanian’s style and sound, had
been thoroughly absorbed and understood by the young artists.

The superb musical partnership of Nune Melikian and Karén Hakobian
with their deep, intelligent musicality and exceptional technical
prowess thrilled the audience with an exciting, brilliantly splendid
unforgettable performance.

The year 2013, being the “Festival Jubilee Year,” celebrating the
110th birthday anniversary of composer Aram Khachaturian, it was most
meaningful and gratifying that both artists has included compositions
of different genres representing Aram Khachaturian’s multifaceted
genius.

The New York premiere performed by Narine Ojakhyan of the beautiful
and tempestuous aria, “Nina’s Romance,” was written for the film score
of the dramatic tragedy, “Masquerade”, by Lermontov. With the
foreboding atmosphere of tragic doom awaiting Nina in the Waltz scene,
it was an especially moving performance.

The lyrical “Song-Poem” for violin and piano, inspired by the melodies
and improvisational folk-art style of the ashugh’s (Armenian
troubadours) was performed by Nune Melikian with meaningful, poetic
expression.

The final major work performed by Nune Melikian, was the “Spartacus
Rhapsody,” composed by Albert Markov, the distinguished Russian
violinist-composer-pedagogue. Inspired and based on the beautiful,
lyric melodies of Aram Khachaturian, one of the most important
composers of the 20th century.

The masterfully composed powerful “Rhapsodic Variations”, combining
intensely exciting technical demands with highly dramatic emotional
episodes, was the perfect choice to reveal the unique talent and
marvelous amazing virtuosity of Nune Melikian. The exceptionally
emotional interpretation of Komitas Vartabed’s folk song “Kroonk,”
arranged for violin and piano, gave a moving closure to the concert.

Nune’s spectacular performance was enhanced by the equally spectacular
solid collaboration of pianist Karén Hakobian.

At the conclusion of the concert, the highly exhilarated, appreciative
capacity-full audience lauded the artists as they returned to the
stage for their final group bow, with a rousing, cheering, prolonged
standing ovation.

We are eagerly anticipating the “Musical Armenia” concert scheduled to
take place March 28, 2014.

Royal Seal On Armenia

On May 28, the 95th anniversary of the First Republic, Prince Charles
will arrive in Armenia for a two-day private visit. He will be the
first member of the royal family to visit Armenia.

Notably, Prince Charles visits Armenia on the anniversary of the First
Republic. The role of Great Britain was not secondary in the
developments of the early 20th century. In addition, this role did not
favor Armenia. And though the first republic had a short life and was
destroyed by bolshevist Russia, Armenia is again independent, and the
visit of the British royal family could be interpreted as a
compensation of moral debt to our state.

On the other hand, the visit of Prince Charles to Armenia was not
perceived straightforwardly. A greater part of the society perceives
his visit as part of interest of the British capital in Armenian
mines, namely the gold mine of Amulsar, which will be produced by a
British company. Environmentalists are worried about violation of
environmental rules there.

The U.K. Ambassador Jonathan Aves says the British company follows
environmental requirements in Amulsar.

The word British is relative because the name of the ex-prime minister
of Armenia Armen Sargsyan is among the heads of the company producing
gold there. Armen Sargsyan has included Prince Charles in Yerevan My
Love Fund founded by him.

Besides the meetings with Serzh Sargsyan and the Catholicos, the
agenda of the prince includes only the events of the Fund, including
public and social projects.

Prince Charles may assure that Yerevan is his love. The official
agenda does not mention remote Amulsar.

Prince Charles does not have a political status but his status has a
political importance. It is hard to tell whether Prince Charles visits
Armenia because he could not pursue his mine interests from London.
That would not be a problem for Charles and he would hardly have to
come to Yerevan for that. So the intrigue or core is other than the
interests of the British capital in mines.

On the other hand, the deputy foreign minister would be sufficient for
the level of Armenia.

The Armenian visit of Prince Charles is a British message to the
region, it is the royal seal on Armenia.

Is this a seal of protection or denial? This is the question.

Obviously, Great Britain has enlarged its presence in the regional
political processes. Naturally, it should have closer relations with
Armenia rather than any other country because Armenia is the only
political raw material of the region the production of which will
generate political income.

By the way, Russia’s behavior is interesting recently. It is trying to
win over Azerbaijan and takes tough steps and statements against
Armenia. The problem is not the European Union which is further than
British interest. Russians hardly ever live at present, they are the
hostage of history both in life and politics and live with the
patterns and scopes of the past. In this context, the geopolitical
confrontation with the British has a key role for Russia.

Unfortunately, the intellectual potential of Armenia was not enough to
`obtain’ the `license’ for production of Armenia’s political raw
material, and it remains in the hands of the apolitical system.

Now Armenia has lost control over the processes, and all one can do is
hope that Prince Charles really loves Yerevan, and not only Yerevan
but also Armenia.

Hakob Badalyan
20:28 24/05/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Scientist from Yerevan became the winner of Astana `Nobel Prize’

Sat, 05/25/2013 – 17:44
International news

The chair of Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University Mariam Voskanyan
received the first prize of Astana Nobel Prize club – 1 million
rubles.

Citing ITAR-TASS, «rg.ru» website reports that the Vice-President of
Eurasian Economic Club, the Rector of Ural State University of
Economics Mikhail Fedorov informed that for the final award approved
by the university, 7 competition winners of 4th Eurasian Economic
Youth Forum arrived from Astana, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Oriol, Yerevan
and the United States.

The winner presented the “The creation of institutionalized
environment as a factor of financial intermediation in the countries
with transitional economies” project.

According to Fedorov, Mariam already participated in the contest once.
Last time the preference was given to Professor of Cambridge
University Kiril Zavodov.

Talking about her project, Mariam Voskanyan informed that the work was
carried out for 8 years. She said that although it was presented on
his behalf, but was the result of a collective work.

Youth ‘Nobel prize’ in Astana is awarded in the scope of International
Youth Economic Forum.

Author:
Factinfo

Azerbaijan perceives change in status quo as first phase in invading
Karabakh – military analyst

May 25, 2013 | 14:58

YEREVAN. – Russian FM Sergei Lavrov’s statement, which was made during
his talk with Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov, is a statement that
needs to be observed along the lines of the logic of the Madrid
Principles.

Military analyst Davit Jamalyan noted the above-said during a press
conference on Saturday.

In his words, it is first necessary to realize what a change in the
status quo of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict means for Azerbaijan.

`It is not a secret that the Azerbaijani party has spread in recent
years the idea of impermissibility of the maintenance of the status
quo. And Azerbaijan perceives the change in the status quo as the
first phase in invading Nagorno-Karabakh,’ Jamalyan said. He added,
however, that this cannot be a subject for discussion for the Armenian
party.

As per the analyst, the important thing is whether Lavrov was
considering the Azerbaijani alternative for a change in the status quo
when he made that statement.

`But our partners need to understand one important thing. After making
a hero out of Ramil Safaraov [the Azerbaijani army officer who had
killed with an axe Armenian soldier Gurgen Margaryan in Budapest back
in 2004 and who was released in Azerbaijan last year, following his
extradition to that country from Hungary], the Azerbaijani party has
essentially rejected the Madrid Principles,’ he said.

Davit Jamalyan added that Armenia has clearly presented its position,
according to which it will sign under any document only if
Nagorno-Karabakh agrees to the given document.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Bako Sahakyan highlights need to involve foreign experts in
excavations in Artsakh

13:46 25/05/2013 » SOCIETY

Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan attended the opening of
archaeological exhibition `The Land’s Memory. Artsakh’ in capital
Stepanakert on Saturday, May 25.

President Sahakyan noted the importance of carrying out archaeological
excavations in Artsakh on a high professional level, adding that the
process should also involve foreign experts and the results should be
available to broad public circles. According to the President, the
implementation of such activities in Artsakh is important from
scientific, cultural and political viewpoints.

Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, speaker of NKR National Assembly Ashot
Ghulyan and other officials attended the event, the Central
Information Department at the Artsakh President’s Office reported.

Source: Panorama.am

Armenia’s national airline carrier swindles employees and state – newspaper

May 25, 2013 | 06:31

YEREVAN. – Former pilots, flight attendants, and aviation engineers of
Armavia Airline Company – which is Armenia’s national carrier – applied to
Zhoghovurd daily, telling that the company has not paid their seven
months’ salary, the daily reports.

`But the noteworthy [thing] in this story is not that the airline
company’s most important specialists were not appreciated, but rather
this company swindled the Republic of Armenia.

`Social [security] payments are not made in our name ever since 2011.
Of course, deductions were made, we received the salary, but, now, we
found out that the company has not made social [security] payments
from 2011 to November 2013. There are people that will retire; this
problem is not resolved, either,’ Armavia’s former employees
resentfully noted.

Armavia [representatives] informed Zhoghovurd that they will respond
to this matter after the holidays,’ Zhoghovurd writes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Armavia pilots to emigrate? – newspaper

May 25, 2013 | 07:56

YEREVAN. – The process of dismissing the pilots and the technical
staff has begun at Armavia Airline Company – which is Armenia’s national
carrier – for already close to a week, 168 Zham daily reports.

`The majority of the dismissed thirty pilots are preparing to
emigrate. Some of them were able to sign long-term contracts with
Aeroflot Russian Airlines and are preparing to leave Armenia with
[their] families.

Armavia has not paid five months’ salary of the pilots being let go.
Even though the company does not refuse [to pay] this debt, they do
not indicate any period, either,’ 168 Zham writes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

diplomatie-UE
Van Rompuy veut revigorer le processus d’adhésion de la Turquie à l’UE

(AFP) – Le président du Conseil européen, Herman Van Rompuy, a
déclaré, jeudi, à l’occasion de sa première visite à Ankara, vouloir
`revigorer` le processus d’adhésion moribond de la Turquie à l’Union
européenne.

`Notre objectif mutuel est de donner un nouvel élan au processus
d’adhésion de la Turquie`, a dit M. Van Rompuy lors d’une conférence
de presse avec le Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

`Nous voulons revigorer nos relations dans tous les domaines et sur
les sujets relatif au processus d’accession de la Turquie` à l’Union,
a précisé le président de l’UE.

Le dirigeant européen a en outre salué les réformes entreprises par le
gouvernement islamo-conservateur turc, notamment dans le domaine des
droits de l’Homme, et soutenu le processus de paix engagé avec le
Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK) pour mettre un terme au
conflit kurde qui perdure depuis 1984.

`Vous pouvez compter sur notre appui`, a souligné M. Van Rompuy.

M. Erdogan a pour sa part rappelé que 2013 consacrait le 50e
anniversaire des accords d’Ankara établissant une association entre la
Turquie et l’Europe et défendu la candidature de son pays à l’entrée
dans l’UE.

`Nous ne voulons pas seulement entrer dans l’Union pour nos propres
intérêts mais aussi pour y apporter notre contribution`, a-t-il
insisté, louant la bonne santé économique de la Turquie, 17ème
économie mondiale.

`Nous ne serons pas un fardeau` pour l’Europe, a plaidé M. Erdogan.

La Turquie a entamé en 2005 des négociations en vue de rejoindre l’UE.
Mais les pourparlers patinent en raison de l’hostilité de pays
européens comme la France et l’Allemagne à sa pleine adhésion mais
aussi de blocages d’Ankara, liés à la question de Chypre dont les
troupes turques occupent depuis 1974 la partie nord.

Paris a ouvert la voie à un déblocage début février en annonçant la
levée de son veto sur un des cinq chapitres de discussion bloqués par
l’ancien président Nicolas Sarkozy, hostile à l’entrée de la Turquie
dans l’UE.

Lors de son déplacement, Herman Von Rompuy s’est également entretenu
avec le chef de l’Etat turc Abdullah Gül et des responsables
politiques au Parlement turc.

samedi 25 mai 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com