Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Armenia children among happiest in the world

03:29, 04.09.2014

The children in Macedonia are the happiest in the world, whereas those
in the United States and Turkey are the saddest.

Israel’s i24news TV website reported the aforementioned adding that
this rating is based on a new report by the Britain-based Children’s
Society organization.

The report is based on a ranking of the feelings of happiness and
satisfaction of some 50,000 children in 39 countries.

As per the report, the happiest children were found to live in
Macedonia, The Netherlands, Armenia, Greenland, and Iceland. Israeli
kids were ranked in eighth place.

Turkey, the United States, Italy, and France came in last. Russian
kids were ranked in 19th place in terms of their happiness.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

Sherriff Candidate McDonnell Visits ARF Western US Headquarters

Thursday, September 4th, 2014

Sheriff candidate Jim McConnell (third from left) meets with ARF and
community leaders

GLENDALE–Candidate for Los Angeles County Sherriff Jim McDonnell on
Wednesday visited the Peschekerian Armenian Center, where he met with
members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western US Central
Committee and community leaders.

A wide range of issues pertaining to law enforcement within the LA
County Sherriff’s department jurisdiction was discussed, with
McConnell being sensitized to issues that might impact the
Armenian-American community.

Among the community leaders present during the visit were Glendale
Mayor Zareh Sinanyan, Montebello Mayor Pro-Tem Jack Hadjinian and
Glendale City Clerk Ardashess Kassakhian.

McConnell welcomed the opportunity to meet with the Central Committee,
and pledged that, if elected, he would work closely with the community
and its leadership to ensure that relations remain strong and
effective with his department.

McConnell will be on the ballot for the November 4 General Elections.

From: Baghdasarian

Italy ready for cooperation with Armenia – MFA

17:11, 06.06.2011

YEREVAN. – Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan met with
Under -Secretary for Italy’s Foreign Ministry Alfredo Mantica in Rome
on Monday.

Kirakosyan stressed high importance to the mutual high-level visits,
and the necessity for establishment of inter-parliamentary commission,
as well as intensification of trade and economic ties, the press
service of Armenia’s Foreign Office informed ArmenianNews-NEWS.am.

The official also discussed the details of a unique exhibition
dedicated to the 500th anniversary of Armenian literature, to be held
under sponsorship of Presidents of Armenia and Italy in three museums
of Venice in December 2011.

Mantica stressed that Italy is ready for further cooperation with
Armenia in all spheres and organization of mutual visit.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

Erdogan trying to poke nose into Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

17:09 * 04.09.14

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to conduct his first visit to
Azerbaijan as the president of Turkey was not absolutely a random
choice, says a spokesperson for the Nagorno-Karabakh president.

Speaking to Tert.am, David Babayan described the Turkish leader’s
trip, as well as his statements made in Baku as a manifestation of
pan-Turkist policies.

“This reflects the true situation. It is good in a way that Turkey
makes statements of the kind, unmasking its own goals and the basic
concepts of its policies. I see nothing bad about this. It was
predictable and did not come as a surprise. Statements of the kind
have always been made,” he noted.

At a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Erdogan said his
country’s relations with Armenia will remain frozen as long as the
Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh does not find a
solution.

“Turkey and Azerbaijan act as the closest allies. What’s even more,
Azerbaijan is trying to become part of Turkey. This is a reflection of
pan-Turkist policies. Turkey has always made statements of the kind,
so this isn’t anything new. Turkey won’t recognize the Genocide; it
keeps denying the fact. This too, is a continuation of genocidal
policies. They are doing everything possible to destabilize the
situation,” Babayan said, adding that Erdogan is trying to kind of
poke his nose into the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

Commenting on Erdogan’s statement, Vahan Badasyan, a member of the
Nagorno-Karabakh National Assembly, said he believes that it is time
for Armenia to announce officially that its relations with Turkey will
remain frozen as long the country refuses to accept and recognize the
Armenian Genocide.

“Hence the Armenian side should make haste to make such a statement,
as Turkey may begin mixing up the Genocide with the Karabakh issue. I
think our diplomacy is slowing its efforts from that point of view. It
is important for us to state that Turkey has nothing to do with
Karabakh. If it has to, why doesn’t it then share an equal
responsibility with Azerbaijan?” he said.

Describing the Azerbaijani policies against Karabakh as aggression,
Badasyan noted that the country has lost lands that belonged to it
during the Soviet years (not historically). “And the Karabakh side
stood up for the defense of those lands, justifiably protecting itself
from aggression. We do not absolutely care of what Erdogan will do or
say; we just have to be ready for everything,” said the lawmaker.

From: Baghdasarian

16:06 04/09/2014 >> POLITICS
Azerbaijani caviar occupies PACE: Assembly to draft report on Karabakh

At the September 2 meeting of the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE) in Paris, a decision was made to file two
Azerbaijani draft resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the PACE
Committee on Political Affairs that will draft a joint report. The report
was entitled “Rise in Violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and Other Occupied
Territories of Azerbaijan.” The draft resolutions were submitted at the
summer session of PACE.

Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian hysteria in the PACE gathered momentum after
Aliyev made adisgraceful speech
in the PACE,
“giving instructions” about the agenda the PACE should have.

Aliyev self-confidently declared that the issue of political prisoners in
Azerbaijan will not be debated by the PACE, instead the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue should be included in the agenda. It is worth remembering here that
“he who pays the piper calls the tune,” in this case – the PACE agenda.

One of the draft resolutions was presented by member of the Azerbaijani
delegation to PACE Elhan Suleymanov.

Second, surprisingly, the authors were not the Azerbaijanis, but Greek MP
in PACE, former Foreign Minister of Greece Theodora Bakoyannis
who
has always been known for her pro-Azerbaijani position and has close
relations with Ilham Aliyev.

According to media reports, during the Azerbaijani President’s visit to
Greece in the summer of 2014, Mrs Bakoyannis hosted a dinner at her home
for Aliyev, hoping to get the Azerbaijani President’s support and to take
advantage of the fact that Azerbaijan seeks to export oil to Europe and to
become a member of the European Commission, taking the portfolio

of
Commissioner for Energy Affairs.

The Council of Europe, which was initially created for the protection of
human rights, democracy and rule of law, attempts to be involved in
political issues, being unable to resolve them, ignoring its top priorities
and turning a blind eye to the shameful situation regarding human rights,
democracy and rule of law first of all in Azerbaijan.

So this kind of morale emerged in the PACE where Azerbaijan definitely
bought a group of MPs ready to carry out Azerbaijan’s “instructions” in
return for caviar and euros.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia’s accession to Eurasian economic union to spur up out-emigration

YEREVAN, September 4. / ARKA /. Armenia’s formal accession to the
Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) will spur up out-emigration,
the head of Noravank research and educational center, Gagik
Harutyunyan, said today.

Speaking at a news conference he described emigration as a major
strategic challenge for Armenia today.
According to him, the roots of this problem lie in the economic and
social situation of the country that forces thousands of its citizens
to leave for Russia and other countries.

According to the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation,
as of May 2014 some 502,994 Armenian citizens were in Russia. Since
2009, the number of Armenian citizens heading to Russia in search of
decent jobs has increased by 60%.

The annual increase rate is 20 percent. In 2011, Armenian labor
migrants transferred home $1.2 billion in remittances, in 2012 the
amount grew to $1.4 billion and in 2013 to $1.8 billion.

Money transfers from Russia rose by almost 12 percent to $1.61 billion
in the whole of 2013 accounting for 86 percent of total non-commercial
remittances, which were in turn equivalent to roughly 18 percent of
Armenia’s Gross Domestic Product.

According the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), the overall amount of
remittances to Armenia rose by 4.7 percent year-on-year to $773.2
million in the first six months of this year.

According to Harutyunyan, the government must create such conditions
in Armenia so that people want to live and work in their country.

“In the long run no membership in a union will solve Armenia’s
internal problems as long as there is no a clear-cut vision of
economic advancement. Our studies show that Armenia continues to lose
specialists with higher and specialized education,” he said.

The final version of the agreement on Armenia’s accession to the
Eurasian Economic Union was sent yesterday to the governments of
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, the Eurasian Economic
Commission reported on Wednesday.

The procedures necessary for signing the agreement are being carried
out now in each of these four countries, it said. The Eurasian
Economic Commission said also the date of the signing will be set by
the four countries’ leaders.-0-

From: Baghdasarian

Hraparak: Nature Protection Minister provides work for his friends and relatives

12:25 04/09/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

Armenian Minister of Nature Protection Aramais Grigoryan is providing
work for his friends and relatives, Hraparak writes.

“4-5 days ago, he appointed his relative, son of Republican MP Murad
Muradyan, Sahak Muradyan, as director of Dilijan National Park. This
appointment and the dismissal of the former director seem to be kept
secret,” the newspaper writes.

From: Baghdasarian

Governor of Siunik relieved of post and appointed as head of Armenia’s
state water committee

YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. Vahe Hakobyan has been relieved of his
duties as governor of Siunik Marz of Armenia, the minister of
territorial administration Armen Gevorgyan reported at a government
meeting on Thursday.

The premier Hovik Abrahamyan, in his turn, said Vahe Hakobyan will
appointed as head of Armenia’s State Water Committee today.

The post of the chairman of the State Water Committee has been vacant
since Tuesday September 2 after the resignation of Andranik
Andreasyan, -0–

From: Baghdasarian

COMMUNIQUÉ DU CCAF
Propagande négationniste de l’Etat turc en France

Une brochure intitulée , développe en réalité une série d’arguments spécieux visant à nier
le caractère génocidaire des événements de 1915, à innocenter les
dirigeants du gouvernement > de l’époque et à mettre sur
un même pied les > durant la
Première Guerre mondiale.

Cette propagande, aussi massive dans sa forme que sournoise dans son
fond montre que les autorités turques, qui subventionnent l’AVIM,
n’entendent pas se contenter de répandre le négationnisme du génocide
arménien à l’intérieur de leurs frontières. Elles en font aussi un
produit d’exportation qui vient désormais prospérer en France, terre
d’accueil des survivants.

Ces procédés ignobles, qui utilisent toutes les ficelles de la
manipulation pour blanchir l’Etat turc, s’inscrivent dans la logique
de l’entreprise d’extermination. Ils visent à parachever le crime, en
en contestant jusqu’à la réalité.

A quelques mois des commémorations du centenaire de 1915, cette
provocation constitue une nouvelle atteinte à la mémoire des morts et
une ultime agression à l’endroit des survivants. Elle vient
cruellement rappeler les carences de la loi face à un négationnisme
d’Etat dont la zone de nuisance transgresse les frontières, et dont la
violence symbolique est à la mesure des moyens mis au service de sa
propagation.

Le CCAF appelle les autorités à prendre toutes les dispositions pour
combattre cette opération de communication des assassins de la mémoire
sur le territoire et à mettre en oeuvre un projet de loi qui
permettrait de lutter avec les armes du droit contre cette nouvelle
forme de criminalité.

Bureau national du CCAF

jeudi 4 septembre 2014,
Ara (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Diplomatic School of the MFA of Armenia and National Foreign Service
Institute of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs sign
cooperation agreement

16:05, 3 September, 2014

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS: On September 3, Foreign Minister of
Armenia Edward Nalbandyan received the delegation headed by
Argentina’s Deputy Foreign Minister Eduardo Antonio Zuain, who is in
Yerevan to conduct consultations between the two foreign ministries.

Welcoming the guests, Minister Nalbandyan stressed that the Armenian
president’s official visit to Argentina gave a new impetus to the
cooperation in different spheres, and expressed confidence that the
agreements will be realized with joint efforts, the Department for
Mass Media and Public Relations of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of
Armenia told Armenpress.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, Deputy Foreign Minister
Eduardo Antonio Zuain noted that Argentina wishes to deepen the
comprehensive cooperation with Armenia and in that regard highlighted
the mutual high-ranking visits.
Minister Nalbandyan stressed that the presence of the well-organized
Armenian community in Argentina highly contributes to development of
the friendly relations between Armenia and Argentina.

Both parties noted with gratification that the absence of the visa
regime, the presence of the legal field, the fact that the capitals of
the two countries appear to be sister cities, are important factors
for expansion of the cooperation.

The interlocutors also touched upon international and regional issues.

After the meeting director of the RA Foreign Affairs Ministry’s
Diplomatic School Vahe Gabrielyan and Juan Valle Raleigh, director of
Argentine National Foreign Service Institute, signed an agreement on
cooperation between the educational institutions they head.

From: Baghdasarian