Author: Badalian Vardan

About 5 percent of Armenian IT engineers choose to emigrate to foreign
countries each year

YEREVAN, May 15. / ARKA /. About 5 percent of Armenian IT engineers
choose to emigrate to foreign countries each year to seek better-paid
jobs, Karen Vardanyan, head of the Union of Information Technology
Enterprises (UITE), said today.

He specified that the brain drain takes out about 500 IT engineers
annually. He argued that people do not realize that they can engage in
international businesses without having to leave their country.
“We have good examples of this. Thus, the PicsArt product, created in
Armenia, now competes with photo sharing Instagram, which is an
indication that Armenian IT products are of high quality”, Vardanyan
said.

PicsArt application was developed in November 2011 by a start-up
company, which employs 20-25 workers in Armenia, and six abroad,
particularly in California. At the initial stage the Android-based
application was launched on Google Play and since then it was
downloaded 35 million times. The company has also 2 million unique
users per day.

Vardanyan said the second reason behind the ongoing brain drain is
narrow career opportunities in the country.

“Some just do not see any prospects for their further growth here and
leave the country. We need to think about how to help these people to
create their own businesses in Armenia “, he said.
Vardanyan said this in mind, UITE has developed a plan of actions for
the development of technological entrepreneurship, which was sent to
the president of the country who was asked to take its patronage.

In turn, the president of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen
of Armenia Arsen Ghazaryan said shortage of qualified personnel is
becoming a serious problem. He explained that despite high level
unemployment there are many vacancies which are not occupied because
the candidates lack required skills. -0-

Why Did Kocharyan Lie When He Swore an Affidavit That He Had Had a
Warm and Close Relationship With Yuri Bakhshyan?

May 14 2013

Robert Kocharyan’s testimony regarding the October 27 case was posted
on websites again the other day. Robert Kocharyan mentioned in his
testimony what kind of relationship he had had with each of the
victims. With regard to Yuri Bakhshyan, he stated: `I knew Yuri
Bakhshyan as far back as when he was a deputy mayor, during Mayor V.
Khachatryan’s tenure, if I am not mistaken. We had a warm, close
relationship.’ inquired of Anahit Bakhshyan, Yuri
Bakhshyan’s wife, today whether her husband had really had a close and
warm relationship with the second President of the Republic of
Armenia. Ms. Bakhshyan assured that Robert Kocharyan was not honest,
since they hadn’t been close. `I haven’t heard Yura say that he was
particularly close with Kocharyan. After those events when I brought
all the papers on Yura’s desk and read, yes, I saw that in some
places, it was written `a meeting with Kocharyan’ and some people’s
names were written next to that. So those were business meetings, but
they were not close. I don’t believe that there was a warm
relationship. Certainly, they were acquainted and had a business
relationship.’ Generally, Robert Kocharyan’s testimony is not news to
Ms. Bakhshyan, since she realized during the trial that he was not
honest. Anahit Bakhshyan told us that after October 27, on November
26, Robert Kocharyan and the first lady, Bella Kocharyan, came to
their home to express their condolences and offer consolation. `That
day, I didn’t suspect anything, couldn’t understand how a man could
cut the branch he was sitting on. Afterwards, during the trial, many
things became clear for me, and I read that testimony again in
retrospect. Surely, he was not honest, and surely, it was not the
reality. He denies complicity everywhere, but the trial itself showed
that he was not that honest; the court denied all motions filed by our
attorney to call witnesses. I clearly remember what he said in our
home. He said that he would do everything necessary to SOLVE, he would
invite SOMEONE from outside, would DO this. And I naively said once
again that I knew that if he didn’t do everything to solve it, he
would be suspected. He said he knew that. Therefore, that interview
was formal from A to Z.’ Ms. Bakhshyan said that it had been Robert
Kocharyan’s first and last visit to their home. Hripsime JEBEJYAN

Read more at:

© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

ARMENIE
La Bibliothèque nationale d’Arménie accorde une attention particulière
à la numérisation de ses fonds

La Bibliothèque nationale d’Arménie accordera une attention
particulière à la numérisation de ses fonds a annoncé Tigran
Zargaryan, directeur de la bibliothèque.

« Les fichiers numériques seront disponibles au centre informatique de
la bibliothèque et à la maison » a-t-il dit.

Tigran Zargaryan a dit que de nos jours les lecteurs, surtout les
jeunes, préfèrent les sources numériques.

Le service national de la bibliothèque reçoit 900 personnes chaque
jour. Il fournit 1,5 millions de pièces de littérature pour les
lecteurs.

Il ya plus de 6,8 millions de pièces dans les fonds de la bibliothèque.

Le premier livre imprimé arménien, Urbatagirk (1512, Venise), le
premier magazine arménien, Azdarar (1794, Madras) et la première carte
imprimée (1695, Amsterdam) y sont conservés.

mercredi 15 mai 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

AZERBAIDJAN
L’Azerbaïdjan affirme qu’elle affrontera des soldats russes au
Karabagh en cas de guerre

Le quotidien turc Zaman a publié un article intitulé « L’Azerbaïdjan
affirme qu’elle devra faire face à des soldats russes au Karabagh en
cas de guerre » et signé par Celil Sagir.

Selon le journaliste le gouvernement azerbaïdjanais a déclaré que si
Bakou choisit de régler le conflit du Haut-Karabagh par
l’intermédiaire d’opérations militaires, elle devra faire face à des
soldats russes plutôt que arméniens.

« Le Président Ilham Aliyev a toujours promis une solution militaire
au conflit [du Haut-Karabagh] et il a toujours mis la question à
l’ordre du jour. L’option d’une solution militaire est toujours sur la
table, mais la chose la plus importante est de savoir comment ce genre
d’opération sera effectuée. Nous devons devenir beaucoup plus fort de
sorte que si nous sommes impliqués dans les combats dans le
Haut-Karabagh, nous pourrions résister aux troupes russes, parce que
c’est à elles que nous devrons faire face. Est-ce -que l’Arménie
occupe nos territoires ? Pensez-vous que l’Arménie est suffisante pour
cela ? » a questionné Ali Hasanov, vice-Premier ministre azéri, lors
d’une conférence de presse tenue avec un groupe de journalistes turcs
dans la capitale, Bakou.

Rappelant sa ville natale, il a déclaré que « l’occupation » a été
réalisée avec le soutien militaire de la Russie. « J’ai vu des soldats
russes sortir de leurs tanks et célébrer leur victoire avec du
champagne ». Par ailleurs, Bakou est très préoccupé par la position de
l’Iran dans la région, Téhéran est en faveur de l’assouplissement du
blocus de l’Arménie en tendant une main secourable à Erevan.

« Si Téhéran rompt ses liens avec l’Arménie, Erevan va mourir de faim
», dit Ali Hasanov.

Ali Hasanov a également critiqué le fait qu’aucune nation musulmane
soit co-présidente du é groupe de Minsk et que toutes sont des nations
chrétiennes. « D’une part, nous critiquons le Groupe de Minsk, mais
d’un autre côté, nous ne l’avons pas quitter », a ajouté Ali Hasanov.

Ali Hasanov croit que les États-Unis sont la clé de la solution du
conflit du Haut-Karabagh : « Si les USA veulent trouver la solution à
ce problème, il devrait s’asseoir avec la Russie et le résoudre. S’ils
ne peuvent pas le faire, alors il devrait prendre l’Arménie hors de
l’orbite de la Russie ».

Ali Hasanov a affirmé que Washington ne veut pas endommager ses liens
avec la Russie et ne fera pas ce qu’elle a fait en Géorgie. Il faisait
allusion à un soutien indéfectible des États-Unis à la Géorgie pendant
la guerre de 2008 avec la Russie.

Critiquant la communauté internationale pour son silence sur
l’Arménie, Ali Hasanov dit que « l’Arménie, qui occupe 20 pour cent du
territoire azerbaïdjanais, a également des revendications
territoriales sur la Géorgie et la Turquie ».

Ali Hasanov a affirmé que les « Arméniens forment des groupes
terroristes » et les envoyent dans les « zones de conflit dans les
territoires occupés », ajoutant « qu’ils vendent également de plus en
plus de drogues ». Il a conclut que « la communauté internationale
tout entière est au courant de ce fait ».

mercredi 15 mai 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Politique
Le BHK n’est pas un parti de l’opposition

L’homme d’affaires, Gagik Tsarukian, a précisé mardi 14 mai 2013 que
son parti Arménie prospère (BHK), ne s’autoproclamera pas comme un
parti de l’opposition. « Le BHK ne peut pas être dans l’opposition
parce qu’il y a déjà trois ou quatre partis d’opposition et il ne peut
y en avoir cinq ou six », a déclaré Tsarukian aux journalistes lors de
la consécration d’une grande église (construite sous la direction du
magnat) à Abovian, à 15 km au nord d’Erevan.

« Le BHK souhaite renforcer le pays et le rendre plus prospère », a-t-il dit.

Le BHK s’est retiré de la coalition il y a un an. Il a ensuite de plus
en plus critiqué le bilan économique du gouvernement. Beaucoup
pensaient par ailleurs que Tsakurian se présenterait à l’élection
présidentielle. Toutefois, le magnat ne s’est finalement pas présenté,
ce qui soulève plus de questions sur le statut et les objectifs de son
parti.

A l’occasion de la cérémonie à l’église officiée par le Catholicos
Karekin II, le chef suprême de l’Eglise apostolique arménienne,
Tsarukian a avait invité Sarkissian et ses prédécesseurs antagonistes,
Robert Kotcharian et Levon Ter-Petrossian. Aleksandr Loukachenko, le
président du Bélarus et ami de Tsarukian, était également présent avec
son fils.

Kotcharian, qui est largement considéré comme patron et leader du BHK,
a accepté l’invitation. Il n’a pas souhaité répondre aux questions des
journalistes à la sortie de l’église. Ter-Petrosian ne s’est pas
présenté. Son épouse Lioudmila et deux membres éminents de son parti
d’ opposition, le Congrès National Arménien (HAK), le représentaient à
la cérémonie.

Ter-Petrosian a activement courtisé le BHK au cours de cette année. Le
chef HAK avait insisté sur le fait que Tsarukian voulait rompre ses
liens avec la classe dirigeante.

Tsarukian a déclaré que ses invitations envoyées aux dirigeants de
toutes les principales factions arméniennes avaient pour but de
promouvoir l’unité nationale. Pendant la cérémonie, le magnat a
déclaré : « J’espère que la consécration de la cathédrale Abovian sera
un signal très positif pour la bonté, la tolérance, l’honnêteté et
l’amour mutuel dans le pays. C’est ma première demande adressée à Dieu
dans cette église », a-t-il dit.

mercredi 15 mai 2013,
Laetitia ©armenews.com

Eurovision.tv
May 14 2013

We had an interview with the Armenian guys from the group “Dorians”

The most popular Armenian rock band Dorians represents Armenia in the
2013 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song Lonely Planet, written by
Tony Iommi, the guitarist and songwriter of Black Sabbath, and
Armenian lyricist Vardan Zadoyan.

“Dorians” consists of five musicians: Gor Sujyan (lead vocal), Gagik
Khodavirdi (lead guitar), Edgar Sahakyan (bass guitar), Arman
Pahlevanyan (keyboards) and Arman Jalalyan (drums).

Gor Sujyan, the front man of the rock band, took the decision to
become a musician when he first listened to the song Stairway To
Heaven by Led Zeppelin, which has been symbolic and, perhaps, fatal.
In a very short period of time the young man who never ever took music
education has recorded outstanding achievements in the music industry
together with his friends Gagik, Arman, Edgar and Arman.

Led Zeppelin had a big influence on the process of formation of
Dorians. In 2008 when the boys gathered together they created a band
called Gor and Friends and they began to perform the songs of Led
Zeppelin. In six months they decided to perform not only cover songs,
but also their own songs and decided to rename the band from Gor and
Friends to Dorians.

At the beginning the band was performing songs only in English, but
soon Dorians made a great revolution in their repertoire presenting
their fans the song Yes Kulam which means I’m Crying in Armenian. The
song became very popular because “it’s about a greater love”, as Gor
explains.

Dorians first studio album called Fly was released in 2011. In August,
2011, the band performed during the opening ceremony of Serj Tangian’s
concert in Yerevan. But the most important concert for the band took
place in September 2010, when Glenn Hughes and Derek Sherinian
performed on the same stage with Dorians in Yerevan.
About Dorians

The most popular Armenian rock band Dorians represents Armenia in the
2013 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song Lonely Planet, written by
Tony Iommi, the guitarist and songwriter of Black Sabbath, and
Armenian lyricist Vardan Zadoyan.

View interview at

Businessweek / Bloomberg
May 14 2013

Azeris Start Exercises Near Breakaway Area as Peace Efforts Fail

By Zulfugar Agayev
May 14, 2013

Azerbaijan started military exercises near its breakaway region of
Nagorno-Karabakh as efforts led by the U.S., Russia and France are
failing to broker a resolution to the long-running conflict with
Armenia.

The `large-scale’ maneuvers involving ground and air forces are
overseen by Defense Minister Safar Abiyev and will continue throughout
the week, the Azeri Defense Ministry in the capital, Baku, said today
in an e-mailed statement.

The predominantly ethnic Armenian region broke free of Baku’s control
with military and political backing of neighboring Armenia after the
breakup of the former Soviet Union in 1991. More than 30,000 people
were killed and 1 million displaced during the conflict, which left
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent Azeri districts under Armenian
control.

Azerbaijan, where BP Plc (BP/) and partners have invested more than
$40 billion in energy projects since 1994, has repeatedly threatened
to use military force to regain control of the territory should peace
talks fail.

EurasiaNet.org, NY
May 14 2013

Belarus Seeks Nuclear Advice from Armenia

May 14, 2013 – 8:18am, by Giorgi Lomsadze

Belarus’ leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka went down to Armenia this week
to pick President Serzh Sargsyan’s brain about how to operate nuclear
reactors.

That might sound like the beginning of an anecdote, but it’s for real.

Belarus plans to build two nuclear power plants and, so, any safety
tips from Armenia would be much appreciated, Lukashenka said on May 13
in Yerevan.

`You have serious experience in exploiting such facilities and we hope
Armenia will be able to send at least a dozen good specialists so that
they assist us in the initial stages of operating the
under-construction power plants,’ Lukashenka told Sargsyan, RFE/RL
reported.

Armenia’s nuclear expertise comes in the form of a rusty, Soviet-era
plant that huffs and puffs in the town of Metsamor, thirty kilometers
west of Yerevan. Built in the 1970s, Metsamor has no primary
containment enclosures to hold escaping radiation and sits in an
earthquake and conflict-prone vicinity. The plant was put on the back
burner during the devastating 1988 earthquake, but was reopened in
1993 as Azerbaijani and Turkish blockades starved Armenia of energy.

Citing safety concerns, the US and EU both have pled with the Armenian
government to modernize the Russian-operated plant. Armenia plans to
replace the plant with a modern facility soon, but, in the meantime,
the tired plant continues churning out 405.7 megawatts of power,
feeding some 40 percent of Armenia’s needs.

Nonetheless, Lukashenka is convinced he needs Armenia’s two cents on
nuclear safety; even though the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which had a
devastating effect on Belarus, might have taught him that Soviet-made
plants do not provide examples of the best safety practices.

Lukashenka even plans to visit Metsamor. Perhaps after touring the
facility, he will seek a second opinion.

Russia terminates oil transit agreement with Azerbaijan

May 14, 2013 – 18:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia and Azerbaijan will terminate the agreement
on the transit of Azerbaijani oil through Russia via the
Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, which operated since 1996. The relevant
decree was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on May 5,
a source familiar with the text of the document told Prime news agency
on May 14, Azernews said.

The Foreign Ministry was instructed to inform Azerbaijan about the
termination of the agreement on the transit of Azerbaijani oil through
the territory of Russia, which was concluded in January 1996. This
bilateral Russian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental agreement on the
transit of Azerbaijani oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline
envisages transportation of 5 million tons of oil per year at the rate
of $15.67 per one ton of oil transit.

Spokesman, advisor to Transneft president Igor Demin told Prime news
agency that the contract included the amount and rate which have been
changed over the years. He said that Azerbaijan has failed to fulfill
its obligations in pumping volumes, which were set in the agreement at
the level of 5 million tons of oil a year, but in reality amounted to
about 2 million tons.

He added that the parties will be able to negotiate a new tariff for
the next year.

Armenian opposition party members meet with US Deputy Chief of Mission

May 14, 2013 | 17:33

YEREVAN. – Opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) Party
representatives Levon Zurabyan and Avetis Avagyan on Tuesday met with
US Embassy in Armenia Deputy Chief of Mission Bruce Donahue, in
connection with the latter’s ending his diplomatic mission in Armenia.

The interlocutors discussed the domestic political situation in
Armenia, the recent capital city Yerevan municipal election, the
existing challenges on the road to the establishment of democracy in
Armenia, and the prospects for the country’s development, ANC press
service informs.

As the main obstacles standing before Armenia’s democratization and
development, ANC bloc National Assembly Faction leader, ANC Party
Vice-Chairman Levon Zurabyan pointed to the authorities’ crushing of
country’s electoral system and the totalitarian and corrupt nature of
the state system.

At the request of the US Deputy Chief of Mission, Zurabyan also
reflected on the ANC’s outlook on the avenues for improving the
economic situation in Armenia.

At the end of the talk, the Armenian National Congress representatives
wished Bruce Donahue success in his future diplomatic activities.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am