Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIAN AND SYRIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCHS: RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN AND ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE

Agencia Fides, Italy
Oct 15 2014

Yerevan (Agenzia Fides) – The primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church
and the Syrian Orthodox Church are turning to the whole Christian
world and the international community so that, on the occasion of the
centennial commemorations the crimes committed against the Armenians
and Syriac Christians in 1915, in the current territories of Turkey,
are recognized and condemned.

The Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, Karekin II,
and the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, Mar Ignatius Aphrem II,
met on Monday, October 13 at the spiritual center of all Armenians,
the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, 20 kilometers from Yerevan,
where they signed a Joint Declaration to affirm the unity of faith,
and the willful desire to continue cooperation between the two
sister Churches, the Armenian and Syriac Orthodox “sister Churches,
founded by the Apostles, the same Christology and Apostolic Tradition,
patristic heritage and common saints, confessors and witnesses”. After
expressing their pastoral concern for what is happening in the Middle
East, the two Patriarchs in their statement launched a joint appeal:
“We invite the entire Christian world, says the document sent to
Fides Agency, to unite in prayer at the Armenian Genocide and the
Syriac Sayfo centennial commemorative events in 2015. We call upon
the civilized world to recognize and condemn the crimes committed
against the Armenian and Syriac peoples as well as other Christian
communities”. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 15/10/2014)

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN READY TO START WORKING ON PEACE DEAL ON KARABAKH – FOREIGN MINISTER

Interfax, Russia
October 15, 2014 Wednesday 3:03 PM MSK

BAKU. Oct 15

Baku expects progress in the settlement of the conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh from an upcoming meeting between the leaders
of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Paris, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov said at a joint news conference with Palestinian Foreign
Minister Riyad al-Maliki in Baku on Wednesday.

“The meeting in Paris will take place at the end of October. Both
parties have given their consent to participate in this meeting,”
Mammadyarov said.

Azerbaijan is willing to start work on drawing up a peace agreement on
Nagorno-Karabakh and expects the same decision from Armenia, he said.

“Our position is: we want to start work on a major peace agreement,
for which it is necessary to resolve issues related to transport,
the removal of [Armenian] troops from occupied territories, and
the return of displaced persons to their homes,” Mammadyarov said,
adding that this agreement should be drawn up by teams of experts.

“Azerbaijan has given its consent to the start of this process and
expects an identical decision from the Armenian side,” he said.

“If they give a positive answer, we will start working on the agreement
at the expert level,” he said.

va mk

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN FM RECEIVES UNICEF OFFICIAL

NEWS | 17.10.14 | 10:23

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Thursday received
Marie-Pierre Poirier, the UNICEF regional director for Central and
Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of the Independent States.

Greeting the guest in his office, Armenia’s top diplomat said that
her visit to the country is of a very symbolic significance, as it
coincides with the fund’s 20th anniversary events.

Nalbandian noted that the UNICEF office has managed to establish a
good cooperation with the Armenian Government over the past decades to
promote the effective implementation of different children’s programs.

Ms Poirier, for her part, told the minister about her meetings with
different heads of UNICEF representations in Yerevan.

The sides further exchanged thoughts over future projects and
initiatives, reports the Foreign Ministry’s press service.

From: Baghdasarian

TWO EFF TRANCHES TO ARMENIA TO TOTAL 23.48MLN SDR BY END OF YEAR

YEREVAN, October 17./ARKA/. IMF’s two tranches to Armenia under the
Extended Facility Fund (EFF) will amount to a total of 23.48 million
SDR by the end of the year, said the head of IMF Armenia mission Mark
Horton after his visit to the country on September 17-30.

The first tranche worth $17 million was provided in March 2014, and all
the performance targets were achieved in the first half of the year.

The second tranche worth $17 million under an EFF arrangement is
expected in December 2014.

According to the preliminary schedule, IFM Board will discuss, by the
end of the year, the monitoring results, and will allocated 11.74
million SDR after approval, Horton said. This will bring the total
amount of funding to Armenia under EFF to 23.48 million SDR, he said.

Horton said the programs are implemented mainly as scheduled, according
to IMF press office.

There is progress in the financial reform and “open air” policies
leading to lower prices for many flights. Change in the government had
an impact on reforming competition and regulations, the document says.

The mission has made a preliminary conclusion about policies at the
end of 2014 and 2015, which may lay groundwork for completion of the
first monitoring and includes proportionate expansion of the 2015
government budget deficit to promote demand, according to the document.

Tax and budget measures will include efforts to improve capital
expenditure performance, tax administration and mitigation of tax and
budget risks. The Central Bank of Armenia will remain committed to the
flexible rate and target inflation policies. The other reforms aim at
improving the financial sector and business environment, enforcing new
pension laws and ensuring stability and efficiency in energy system,
Horton said as quoted by the press office.

On March 7, the IMF Executive Board approved the agreement with
Armenia about 82.21 million SDR ($127.6mln or 89.4% of Armenia’s quota)
under a 38-month EFF program. -0–

From: Baghdasarian

ANALYSIS: ARMENIA’S SEARCH FOR TIES OUTSIDE EEU RAISES DOUBTS OVER ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

ANALYSIS | 17.10.14 | 10:14

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan Meets IMF Director Christine Lagarde

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN ArmeniaNow correspondent

On October 20-21, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan is scheduled
to visit Iran, where he is going to meet with the president of the
Islamic Republic, Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani
and other officials.

Abrahamyan has just returned from the United States, where he met with
the leadership of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund,
who promised to support the Armenian economy. Under what conditions
the international financial institutions promise this support is not
mentioned in official reports. After the meetings, Armenian Economy
Minister Karen Chshmarityan only said that Armenia’s accession to
the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) “did not prevent our
Western partners from continuing their lending cooperation with us.”

However, as German Ambassador to Armenia Rainer Morel noted still
before Armenia’s signing of the Agreement on Accession to the EEU,
in order to continue cooperation with Armenia in the sphere of
investments, European countries need to see what conditions for
foreign economic relations will be put forward by the Russian-led
trade bloc. Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mohammad Reisi said almost
the same. He diplomatically noted that his country would be glad to
establish cooperation with the EEU through Armenia.

PM Abrahamyan’s visits indicate that the entry into the EEU is
not perceived by the Armenian government as an impetus for economic
development, and the government is seeking support in other countries
and organizations. Armenia’s economy is almost stagnant and threatens
to pass into a negative point. This is due primarily to the fact that
the flagship of the EEU, Russia, has been under strict international
sanctions and in a state of isolation. The Russian ruble is drastically
devaluating against the world’s major currencies, oil prices are on
the decline, and all that, as Minister Chshmarityan says, will very
soon have an impact on Armenia as well.

Firstly, it already affects the volume of remittances that Armenian
migrant workers wire back home from Russia. Secondly, it leads
to a complete absence of Russian investments that already were
scarce before, as well as inability to obtain substantial loans. In
particular, Armenia cannot get a loan of $300 million for the repairs
of its nuclear power plant that was promised to it more than a
year ago.

All this leads to Armenia’s seeking sources of financing outside the
EEU. It can still get some assistance and loans from international
financial institutions, but investments are practically excluded. The
political decision to join the EEU appears to have put other countries
off as they do not want to invest in the Armenian economy thinking that
by investing in Armenia they invest in an unreliable Russian alliance.

In Armenia, they already start discussing scenarios in the event of a
collapse in Russia or agreements between Moscow and the West on the
conditions of the latter. Now the EEU and, in particular, Armenia’s
membership in it rest on the power and imperial aspirations of Russian
President Vladimir Putin. It is unclear what will happen if Putin’s
power or aspirations are called into question.

From: Baghdasarian

SERBIA PLANS TO OPEN EMBASSY IN YEREVAN

13:28, 03.10.2014

YEREVAN. – Serbia plans to open an embassy in Yerevan, the capital
city of Armenia. Ivica DaÄ~MiÄ~G, the First Deputy Prime Minister
and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, stated the above-said
at his meeting, on Thursday in the Serbian capital city of Belgrade,
with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

In response, Nalbandian noted that Armenia will reciprocate to
this plan.

DaÄ~MiÄ~G described Armenia-Serbia relations friendly, and stressed
that the Armenian FM’s visit to Serbia is a good opportunity to
reach new agreements on the development of cooperation between the
two countries.

Nalbandian, for his part, stated that the Armenians have the warmest
feelings towards the Serbians.

“The existing political dialogue, [and] cooperation between Armenia
and Serbia have a considerable potential for development, and we want
to make additional efforts to give new content and dynamics to our
cooperation agenda,” Minister Nalbandian said.

The two ministers also reflected on the preparations for the Serbian
president’s forthcoming visit to Armenia.

In addition, Nalbandian and DaÄ~MiÄ~G discussed the avenues for
the development of relations and deepening of ties, the holding
of consultations, and the collaboration within international
organizations.

The Armenian and the Serbian FMs also reached an agreement on
invigorating the activities toward facilitating the visa issuance
procedure between the two countries.

In the context of Serbia’s OSCE chairmanship next year, the FMs
exchanged views on the matters that are on the agenda of this
organization.

The interlocutors also reflected on regional and international issues.

Nalbandian briefed his Serbian colleague about the ongoing joint
efforts by Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to achieve a
solely pacific resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In this
connection, minister DaÄ~MiÄ~G reaffirmed Serbia’s principal position
of assisting the respective efforts by the co-chairs and supporting
only a peaceful settlement to this conflict.

Edward Nalbandian, for his part, reaffirmed Armenia’s position on the
Kosovo conflict, and welcomed the ongoing discourse between Serbia and
Kosovo to find mutually acceptable solutions. In turn, Ivica DaÄ~MiÄ~G
thanked for the Armenian peacekeepers’ continuing mission in Kosovo.

Separately, the Armenian FM invited his Serbian counterpart to visit
Yerevan.

After the meeting, Gagik Ghalachyan, Armenia’s Ambassador to Serbia,
and Mirjana MilosavljeviÄ~G, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of
the Serbia MFA, signed a memorandum of cooperation between the academy
and the Diplomatic School of Armenia of the Armenian MFA.

Subsequently, the Armenian and the Serbian FMs held a joint news
conference.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

DEBRIS DUMPED INTO HRAZDAN RIVER IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, ALARMS ANAHIT BAKHSHYAN

11:35 | October 17,2014 | Social

Waste generated in construction activities and the debris from the
Geghama restaurant is being dumped into the Hrazdan river in broad
daylight, Anahit Bakhshyan, Head of the Barev Yerevan Bloc, warned
Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan in a letter. She has attached several
photos to the letter.

“In blatant violation of regulations, the waste is being dumped in
the river. Where don’t the Municipality and the utility department
of Kentron administrative district control the situation? Don’t the
relevant agencies see the atrocity?” Mrs Bakhshyan said in her letter.

She called on the relevant agencies to handle the problem as soon
as possible.

From: Baghdasarian

ARTHUR ELBAKYAN’S “MY INSANE SHAKESPEARE” PREMIERES IN NY WITH SMASHING SUCCESS

12:41, 16 Oct 2014

The world premiere of My Insane Shakespeare has taken place at New
York City’s Theatre Row on October 13th, 2014 with smashing success
and is set for an additional performance on October 19th, 2014,
according to the Broadway World.

Written, directed and performed by independent actor and director
Arthur Elbakyan, “My Insane Shakespeare” has been sold out months in
advance at the world’s largest theatre festival.

“I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful festival which explores
and celebrates the uniqueness of the individual, and to present my
play,” said Arthur Elbakyan.

Elbakyan plays the main character, an actor, who involuntarily finds
himself in a mental hospital at which point, the key developments
of the play unfold. Betrayed by his close friends and allies,
the actor analyzes life, love, hatred, and realizes that the line
between an insane and sane person has long been erased. In the midst
of solidarity and seclusion, his feelings and emotions begin to flow
upon paper and canvas.

“I tell this true story with my paintings. When I drafted the stage
design for the play, I became so inspired that I created a large
number of oil paintings,” shared Elbakyan, “You could say that the
main character of the play has painted them.”

By drawing parallels between our modern day lives and the days of
Shakespeare, Elbakyan proves that over time, human relationships and
values have not changed at all. Moreover, he shows that Shakespeare’s
“to be, or not to be” has become even more of a burning question today.

Arthur Elbakyan is an international actor and theatre, film, and
television director and producer. Having lived in Armenia, Russia,
Europe and the United States, Elbakyan has played over 30 leading
theatre roles and has been the author and host of numerous television
shows. Elbakyan was the founder of the Theatre Studio “13” and also
co-founded the first independent television channel in Armenia “AR”.

Elbakyan’s passion for theatre was strong enough to bring theatre
to television with his introduction of a series of television shows
“It’s Majesty Theatre” on the National Television of Armenia, taking
the audience to the unique world of the theatre and performing arts.

Recently, Elbakyan has received Best Documentary Short Award at the
Los Angeles Film and Script Festival.

From: Baghdasarian

LE PREMIER MINISTRE RECOIT UN EX-PRISONNIER DE GUERRE

ARMENIE

Le ministre armenien de la Defense Seyran Ohanian a recu Hagop
Injighulyan, un ancien prisonnier de guerre qui est revenu de captivite
d’Azerbaïdjan via un pays tiers la semaine dernière, ainsi que les
membres de sa famille.

Au cours de la reunion, le ministre a remercie le soldat de 23 ans
pour sa “fermete et son comportement patriotique”, selon le site
officiel du ministère de la Defense.

Injighulyan a presente les details de sa captivite et a parle
de pressions physiques et psychologiques utilisees contre lui en
Azerbaïdjan.

Ohanian a exprime l’espoir qu’Injighulyan, qui a passe plus d’un an en
captivite, pourrait rapidement reussir a surmonter les consequences
de la contrainte dans le milieu bienveillant de sa famille. Il a dit
que les actions menees contre le militaire armenien en captivite en
Azerbaijan montrent que les autorites azerbaïdjanaises ont developpe
une politique speciale d’envoi de prisonniers de guerre armeniens vers
un pays tiers a l’aide de menaces de violence, de torture et de mort
afin de demontrer que les conditions de service dans les forces armees
de l’Armenie et du Haut-Karabagh sont pretendument insupportables et
que les militaires ne veulent pas retourner dans leur pays d’origine.

Mais Injighulyan, un simple soldat de l’armee armenienne, avec ses
bonnes mesures et sa sagesse a demontre l’inutilite des politiques
azerbaïdjanaises a souligne Ohanian exprimant sa satisfaction sur le
fait que, meme après une telle experience Injighulyan a l’intention
de continuer son service dans l’armee.

Le ministre a donne des instructions pour examiner la question sur la
base des resultats d’un examen medical, accordant plus d’importance
a la necessite pour lui de recevoir une formation.

jeudi 16 octobre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

October 13, 2014
____________________

EASTERN DIOCESE HIRES JACOB H. YAHIAYAN AS NEW DIRECTOR OF
ADMINISTRATION

The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) is pleased to
announce that it has hired a new Director of Administration, who will
function as the chief administrative officer of the Diocesan Center in
New York City, its affiliated parishes and organizations.

Mr. Jacob H. Yahiayan has accepted the position effective immediately.
An official announcement from Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, the
Primate, and the Diocesan Council was broadcast to the leadership of
the Eastern Diocese on October 9.

Mr. Yahiayan will bring his leadership experience in international
finance and on the boards of major universities and cultural
institutions to the management of the Diocese. Immediately prior to
taking on the position of Diocesan Director of Administration, he was
a managing member of Continental Advisory Services, LLC, a New York
State-based family office.

During his 25-year career in international banking, Mr. Yahiayan has
lived in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Born in Lebanon and raised
in the U.S., Mr. Yahiayan received his Bachelor’s degree from New York
University, and holds graduate degrees in Business Administration,
International Management, and Education from New York Institute of
Technology, the Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires
(INSEAD) in France, and CUNY Brooklyn College, respectively.

Throughout his career, Mr.Yahiayan has had a strong interest in
education and institutions of higher learning. He has served on the
Dean’s Advisory Boards at NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences, the
Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and the Lebanese American
University (LAU), and was previously Trustee at the Brooklyn
Conservatory of Music. Mr. Yahiayan is currently an Executive Council
Member at NYIT’s School of Management. To these roles he brings his
personal perspective as an educator who has taught in universities in
Europe and the Middle East.

Prior to embarking on his international career, Mr. Yahiayan enjoyed a
long personal relationship with the Diocese and St. Vartan Armenian
Cathedral, were he was married and where his two children were
baptized. He also has a strong family connection to the Diocese
through his wife, the former Sylva Svajian, daughter of the late
Dr. Stepan and the late Dr. Pergrouhi Svajian – both pillars of the
Armenian Church in America throughout their generation.

`We are confident that Jacob H. Yahiayan will bring a broad vision,
professional management style, and a strong commitment to quality to
his new role as Diocesan Director of Administration,’ said Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, the Diocesan Primate. `We are eager to welcome his
enthusiastic, energetic, and warm personality into the fold of the
Diocesan Center.’

`I am delighted to have become a part of this organization,’ said Mr.
Yahiayan. `The Eastern Diocese has a solid record of achievement
behind it, and I’m eager to add my own perspective and vision, to help
guide it to the next level.’

###

Photo attached.

Mr. Jacob H. Yahiayan has been hired by the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern) as its new Director of Administration. As
such, he will function as the chief administrative officer of the
Diocesan Center in New York City, its affiliated parishes and
organizations. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, the Primate, broadcast the
official announcement on October 9, 2014.

From: Baghdasarian