Author: Badalian Vardan

NAIRA ZOHRABYAN: WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF GAZPROM ARMENIA EMPLOYEES DECIDE TO RELAX IN LUXURIOUS HEALTH RESORTS? (VIDEO)

13:27 | April 8,2015 | Politics

The National Assembly is continuing the discussion of the conclusion
of the NA interim commission studying the gas supply system.

Head of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK faction Naira Zohrabyan
spoke about the costs of images and plants of the document which are
included in the price of gas sold to consumers.

“Can you imagine what might happen if employees of Gazprom Armenia
CJSC develop their their aesthetic tastes and declare that they want to
have a rest in health resorts which are decorated with the pictures of
Titian and Renoir, especially given the fact that their pink colours
have a relaxing effect on viewers. This is a real plunder which is
not appropriate to a political force.”

Speaking about the framework agreement reached in Lausanne last week
on curbing Iran’s nuclear program for at least a decade which forced
Iran to make drastic cuts to its nuclear program in return for the
gradual lifting of sanctions, the BHK leader said, “Serious prospects
open for finding transit routes to export gas to Europe through the
cooperation between Iran, Georgia and Armenia. The question is whether
Armenia is constrained by an infamous vassal treaty with Russia by
2043. WE are given a unique opportunity and we should not miss it,
otherwise we shall make a major political mistake.”

KNITWEAR PRODUCTION GROWS IN ARMENIA

11:56, 8 April, 2015

YEREVAN, 8 APRIL, ARMENPRESS: In the beginning of the year of 2015 the
production of knitwear registered a growth of 42,4% in Armenia. If
in the first two months of 2014 377,700 pieces of knitted products
were produced in Armenia, this year its volume reached 537,800.

Armenpress was informed about it by the National Statistical Service
of Armenia.

ARMENIA LIBERALIZED AIR COMMUNICATION WITH SIX COUNTRIES – MINISTER

YEREVAN, April 8. / ARKA /. Armenia has liberalized air communication
with Austria, Russia, Iran, Spain, Turkmenistan and Iraq, economy
minister Karen Chshmarityan said today during a Q&A session in the
parliament.

The Armenian government liberalized the domestic civil aviation
sector in late October 2013 saying that all local and foreign airlines
meeting safety standards will be allowed to fly to and from Armenia
without special authorizations or other restrictions.

According to the minister, relating negotiations are being held
now with Qatar, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Jordan,
Thailand, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway and Greece.

He said the three major goals of this policy is opening of new
destinations, ensuring the lowest possible prices for tickets and
providing quality services.

According to Civil Aviation Department of Armenia, last year passenger
traffic through local airports surged by 18.5% from 2013 to 2,082,755
people.-0-

ARMENIAN CEMETERY DESECRATED IN ANKARA

April 8, 2015 – 16:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – “Treasure hunters” in Ankara destroyed an ancient
Armenian cemetery, with human bones strewn everywhere, according to
Hye Tert.

The cemetery is also used as a picnic venue. The cemetery was the only
reminder of the Armenian presence in Ankara’s district of Sincan. A
while ago, the city municipality moved some of the well-preserved
tombstones to the municipal park to create an “open air museum.”

Later, the tombstones were removed, and reportedly sent to the Museum
of Anatolian Civilizations.

Several years ago, the cemetery was fenced, yet the measure proved
useless. The fence was broken down, with the graves desecrated by
treasure hunters.

Armenia to receive third $17 million disbursement of IMF in June

YEREVAN, April 8. / ARKA /. Speaking at a news conference today
the chief of IMF Mission in Armenia, Mark Horton, said Armenia will
receive the third disbursement of $17 million under IMF’s Extended
Fund Facility (EFF) program in June.

The extended arrangement for SDR 82.21 million (about US$119.1 million)
was approved on March 7, 2014. The money will be disbursed in seven
tranches, Mr. Horton said.

He said the first review of Armenia’s economic performance under the
three-year program was completed on December 22, 2014 enabling the
release of SDR 11.74 million (about US$17 million), bringing total
disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 23.48 million (about
US$34 million).

He said the IMF submitted to the Armenian government several proposals,
the discussion of which will be completed within the next 2-3 weeks,
and the results will be submitted to the IMF Board meeting in June.

He said one of the proposals calls for increasing capital spending
by 1% of GDP. According to him, the IMF does not fund capital
expenditures, but nevertheless, the Armenian government is working
with international financial institutions and other organizations in
order to find the necessary funds.

Mr. Horton also noted that some other proposals submitted to the
government are about transport communications and renovation of
Armenian schools buildings which do not meet seismic standards.

Mr. Horton said if these projects are implemented successfully, the
IMF can provide the Central Bank of Armenia this year with additional
$35 million. -0-

ARMENIA’S INTERNATIONAL RESERVES AT ABOUT $1.5BLN BY END Q1 – NEWSPAPER

08.04.2015 15:45

YEREVAN, April 8. /ARKA/. Armenia’s gross international reserves will
amount to about $1.5 billion by the end of the first quarter 2015,
Haykakan Zhamanak (Armenian Time) says referring to the press office
of the central bank.

Hence, the international reserves will still be in line with the
international practices and will be sufficient for covering the imports
and the servicing of short-term (up to one year) commitments for more
than five years.

According to the newspaper, the regulator expects the international
reserves to be replenished by about $510 million in 2015, of it about
$300 million through second euro bond issue, and the remaining part
from other receipts.

At the same time, the foreign debt load is expected to decrease
substantially, by about 30%.

The newspaper says the number of commercial banks’ foreign currency
accounts in the central bank is expected to increase due to the
regulator’s recent actions to replenish commercial banks’ capital
and to promote forex inflow.

The reduction in reserves by $762 million during 2014 was facilitated
by a number of factors, particularly by decrease of $305 million in
balances on foreign currency correspondent accounts, external debt
servicing worth about $260 million and the central bank’s sale/purchase
deals worth $310 million to ensure financial stability and to curb
the inflation, says Haykakan Zhamanak. -0-

TIGRAN KHZMALYAN: MOSCOW AND KGB BEHIND TERROR AGAINST FOUNDING PARLIAMENT

by David Stepanyan

Tuesday, April 7, 13:56

Tigran Khzmalyan, film director, oppositionist, public worker, says
Moscow and Russian KGB (State Security Committee) are behind the
“terror against the Founding Parliament Movement.”

Talking to ArmInfo, Khzmalyan said: “Perhaps, it is the only difference
between the actions of the Young Armenian Government of our country
and their Young Turkish teachers. I am reluctant to say that we
are witnesses and victims of a second genocidal actions against the
Armenian nation ahead of the Armenian Genocide Centennial,” he said.

Khzmalyan recalled that one hundred years ago Turks launched the
genocide of Armenians on April 24 with arrests of the Armenian
intellectuals of Constantinople and now, the Armenian authorities
are repeating the lessons of their teachers.

He said the activists of the Founding Parliament are facing arrests
not only in Yerevan, but also in Vanadzor. He anticipates reports on
expulsion of the Movement’s members from Diaspora and from Armenia.

“In other words, we are witnessing an open terror in response to
the efforts to fight corruption and feudal regime in Armenia by
constitutional methods,” the oppositionist said. Artsakh War Hero,
coordinator of the Founding Parliament (FP) Zhirayr Sefilyan, members
of the FP, Varuzhan Avetisyan, Pavel Manukyan and Sefilyan’s brother
Toros Sefilyan were detained today, on April 7.

Earlier, the Police searched the houses of Zhirayr Sefilyan, Varuzhan
Avetisyan, and Karo Yeghnukyan. The Investigation Committee of Armenia
has disseminated a report saying that “the National Security Service
and the Investigation Committee of Armenia have prevented an attempt
of organized mass disorders that were planned for April 24 2015.”

TIM JUDAH READS THE TESTIMONY OF VACHAGAN PETROSIAN

April 7, 2015 10:02
EXCLUSIVE

Tim Judah

Photo: From T. Judah ‘s personal archive

Mediamax presents 100 Seconds project devoted to Armenian Genocide
Centennial. The project is based on testimonies of Genocide survivors
published by the National Archive of Armenia.

Tim Judah is a reporter and political analyst for The Economist,
and has written several books, mainly focusing on Serbia and Kosovo.

For 100 seconds project Tim Judah reads an extract from Armenian
Genocide survivor Vachagan Petrosian’s testimony.

National Archives of Armenia Collection of Documents

Testimony of survivor Vachagan Petrosian on the massacre of the
Armenian population of the town of Bitlis

When Jevet, the governor of Van, retreated and came to Bitlis (in
July) and saw Armenians there he said to the governor of Bitlis:
“So there are still Armenians here ?” He immediately ordered the
census papers to be brought in and based on that list gather all
males above the age of 15 and take them to the barracks. Then they
would move them out of barracks in groups, take them to Dukhanashen
where they would murder them and throw them into the water.

They took the others to the garden belonging to a wealthy Armenian from
Bitlis, tied them to each other, made them stand in line, shot them
and threw them into pits dug in advance (with many of the captives
not even wounded or lightly wounded). In this way they eliminated
the male population of Bitlis.

They selected the women and children they liked and converted them
to Islam. The remaining women and children were also taken in groups
to Sgherd, stripped on the bank of the river, murdered with daggers
and thrown into river. Most of the small boys were thrown into the
river alive.

Producers: Ara Tadevosyan
Filming: Rachel Judah Post Production: Tumo LLC

The source of Vachagan Petrosian’s testimony: National Archives of
Armenia, Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey, 1915, Testimony of
survivors, Collection of documents, Yerevan-2013.

VivaCell-MTS is the general partner of 100 seconds project.

– See more at:

PANIC IN ARMENIA

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 07 April 2015, 13:38

Armenia has entered into a phase of Eurasian panic. The myth of the
EEU is collapsing and those who were trying to persuade the society in
Armenia after September 3 that Armenia was not entering the EEU but the
paradise are now trying to persuade that whatever is happening in the
Armenian economy has nothing to do with the EEU and would be inevitable
without the EEU. And those people are politicians, representative
of the governmental and non-governmental parties who voted for the
annexation of Armenia by the EEU in December and experts who had also
been helped by the Russian “landing” and financial assistance. Now
this Armenian-Russian International is trying to persuade the citizens
of Armenia that the EEU has nothing to do with this.

In times of social and economic difficulties it seems that everyone
must join their efforts to save the Armenian economy, whereas these
efforts focus on saving the face and reputation of the EEU in Armenia.

The myth about a market of 170 million and higher level of security
was busted within a few months and still continues and the end is not
visible. Whether the EEU has anything to do with this or not is no
longer important. The EEU has something to do with getting over this.

However, this relation is adverse in nature. In other words, the EEU
will not help overcome the current plight but will hinder and make
things more complicated.

What is necessary to do to tackle the current economic problems? Of
course, it is necessary to relieve the private sector of bureaucracy
to enable companies to spend more time and resource on their core
business, the quest for new solutions and opportunities.

The mix called EEU imposes on the private sector of Armenia a new
stage of bureaucratic adaptation in a difficult economic period full
of uncertainty. The Armenian business has to adjust to new union
regulations, new trade conditions with the third countries after
joining the union.

This is the purely technical part. Furthermore, the Armenian companies
are not allowed freedom of dealing with the third countries,
several conditions of these relations have been complicated and
made cumbersome. Technically, the EEU has caused complications for
the Armenian companies which had already been caged by the Armenian
monopolies and oligopolies. Plus complicated regulations and the
picture is more than clear.

In the meantime, a group of Armenian and Russian people are trying
to make the Armenian society believe that the EEU has nothing to
do with this, totally distorting the truth. Their lies led to the
capitulation and annexation of Armenia by the EEU, their lies are
trying to save the face of the EEU in Armenia in prejudice of the
economy and future of Armenia.

“THEY WILL INVENT SOMETHING TO KEEP ZHIRAYR UNTIL APRIL 24”: N. SEFILYAN: 1IN.AM (VIDEO)

12:52 | April 7,2015 | Politics

“They haven’t found arms, but they will invent something to keep
Zhirayr until April 24,” Nanor Sefilyan tells how Zhirayr Sefilyan
has been taken into police

Video by 1in. am