Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

YOUNG JOURNALIST SCHOOL TO VISIT YEREVAN

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 27 2014

27 January 2014 – 12:46pm

The Young Journalist School organized by the North South Center for
Political Analysis will visit Yerevan on January 29-31 to discuss
Eurasian mass media and technologies for promotion and formation of
content, News Georgia reports.

Journalists, media specialists, political analysts from Russia,
Kazakhstan and Ukraine will organize professional training and lectures
for Armenia. Two round-table conferences will be held. One will be
organized at the Russian-Armenian Parliamentary Club, entitled the
Parliamentary Dimension and Public Support of Eurasian Integration for
Russian and Armenian experts. The other one will be entitled Problems
and Prospects in Formation of Common Eurasian Information Space.

A contest of journalist essays will be announced on the final day
of the Journalism School. The winners will have special training and
attend the regional School of Young Journalists of the South Caucasus
in Sochi.

The Young Journalist School organized by the North South Center for
Political Analysis will visit Yerevan on January 29-31 to discuss
Eurasian mass media and technologies for promotion and formation of
content, News Georgia reports.

Journalists, media specialists, political analysts from Russia,
Kazakhstan and Ukraine will organize professional training and lectures
for Armenia. Two round-table conferences will be held. One will be
organized at the Russian-Armenian Parliamentary Club, entitled the
Parliamentary Dimension and Public Support of Eurasian Integration for
Russian and Armenian experts. The other one will be entitled Problems
and Prospects in Formation of Common Eurasian Information Space.

A contest of journalist essays will be announced on the final day
of the Journalism School. The winners will have special training and
attend the regional School of Young Journalists of the South Caucasus
in Sochi.

From: Baghdasarian

PAVEL ZARIFULLIN: “TURKEY WILL NEVER BE PART OF THE EU”

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 27 2014

27 January 2014 – 9:14am

Yesterday, in his interview to CNBC at the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Irakli Garibashvili, Georgian Prime Minister, commented on
the events in Ukraine. He related the Euromaidan with the political
pressure of Russia and emphasized that Georgia is expecting a
provocation from Russia. Pavel Zarifullin, Director of the Lev Gumilev
Center, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the European aspirations of Georgia,
Armenia and Turkey.

What is the European view on efforts by the new Georgian government
to meet democratic standards of the European Union?

The view has been being formed for decades. It didn’t come from
nowhere; Georgia is perceived as a freedom-loving, fair state which
resists the mammoth from the north, a David against the awful Russian
Goliath. Of course, it is idealized in Europeans’ eyes that everything
is wonderful there, that the people have accepted true values of
freedom and democracy and finally will be an example for all nations
of Asia in building a state without corruption and totalitarianism.

The views on Georgia are very idealistic. In fact I believe European
citizens don’t really know what happens there, how deep the Georgian
conscience is, how patriarchal it is, it is a kind of a thing in
itself. If Georgians read the principles which they are going to sign
in the association with the EU, I think they would never agree to
this. At the same time, the policies are too thin. There is an item
which says that the rights of sexual minorities should be welcomed in
Georgia. Neither Patriarch Ilia II nor patriarchal Georgian families
will agree to this. Therefore, we can see another cognitive dissonance
here, when there are idealized views of Western society and these views
are imposed on a different culture, a different social mentality,
and sooner or later it will break up. At the moment nobody demands
from Georgians to hold a love parade in Tbilisi, but they will demand
it tomorrow, and it will cause a painful reaction in Georgian society
and reconsideration of European illusions which have been a disease
of the Georgian nation in the last few decades.

How do you think will develop the relations of Armenia with the EU
after its decision to join the Customs Union?

There will be trade relations, it will all be suggestions that
Armenia had better give up on the Eurasian Union, that Europe is
better and more interesting for Armenia, Armenian opposition parties
will get financed by different foundations, as well as any Armenian
organizations that propagandize European identity, European culture,
European rights and freedoms. So it certainly is a great challenge
for Armenia, but then, they have no alternative, because Europe will
never give them any guarantees. The EU can declare they include Armenia
in whatever unions, organizations, Eastern partnerships, but Europe
can never guarantee security and sovereignty to Armenia. Only Russia,
OSCE, the Eurasian Union can do it. And the Armenian authorities and
people are perfectly aware of it.

How has the attitude of the EU to Turkey changed after the big
corruption scandal in the government?

The relations between Turkey and the EU are another story, they have
been singing different songs for 50 years. The main goal of the EU
is to work with Turkey and use it for its economic and geopolitical
issues, but never include it in the EU. So anything related to a
certain demonization of Turkey in the eyes of the European community
will be encouraged by European media. They will keep emphasizing
and proving that the Turks are corrupt. The Turks are indigestible
for Europe, allegedly because they are like this, because corruption
blossoms there. And if you say they have reversed values, that in some
respect they might be more European than the Czechs or the Hungarians –
if we talk about rationality, about economic progress, they will never
agree. Here we face again some double standards of European society
towards other regions, other cultures. We shouldn’t blame them for it,
for we also are like that, because Europe is a different civilization,
with its own cultural code, Russia is different and also has its
unique cultural code, and Turkey is not like any of us. We – experts,
journalists, political researchers – should stop watching the world
through all those telescopes, rose-colored spectacles, just realize
that all the negative information on Turkey in the European press
(including the German press) will have the sole goal of never letting
Turkey join the EU.

From: Baghdasarian

PACE PRESIDENT EXPLAINS WHY SUBCOMMITTEE ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH DISSOLVED

21:30 ~U 27.01.14

Outgoing President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) Jean-Claude Mignon has today held his last press
conference.

Answering APA’s question concerning the results he achieved in the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process as the initiator of the meetings
between Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations during his presidency,
Mignon said: “During my presidency I tried to make contribution to
the solution of frozen conflicts. Negotiations on Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh conducted through parliamentary
diplomacy are one of the examples. Though we have not achieved
serious results, I am satisfied with the restoration of dialogue
between the parties. The heads of the two countries’ delegations
take constructive position on this issue. The number of accusations
between the two sides against each other at the plenary sessions of
the Assembly is gradually reducing and it means that the members of
delegations received some positive messages at these meetings.”

Mignon noted that after he was elected as PACE President, the
subcommittee on Nagorno-Karabakh did not continue its activity,
he opposed to the resolution of the conflict in this format.

“OSCE Minsk Group is dealing with this issue and, as a representative
of another organization, I do not support interference in this
organization’s activity. Chairmanship at OSCE is also based on the
principle of rotation. Switzerland has taken over chairmanship from
Ukraine, Serbia will take over chairmanship from Switzerland. These
countries are also doing great job within the organization towards
the resolution of the conflict. Moreover, during my presidency I
met with Minsk Group co-chairs, especially with the French co-chair
Jacques Faure. We had very productive meetings. We also held important
meetings in Baku and Yerevan with the foreign ministers, presidents
of the two countries, discussed Madrid principles proposed by OSCE
Minsk Group. I think there is progress, though less than expected,
in these issues. At least there is a dialogue within the Assembly
and I think these meetings should be continued,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ARMENIA MARKED HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

January 27, 2014 | 21:08

YEREVAN. – The Jewish community of Armenia on Monday marked
International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Members of the community and representatives of other organizations
laid flowers at the memorial to the victims of Armenian Genocide and
Holocaust installed in the center of Yerevan.

Another event will be held together with Israel’s Embassy in Armenia
at 6:30p.m. on February 4 in the Chamber Music Hall, head of the
community Rimma Varzhapetyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked all over the
globe on January 27 when in 1945, the largest Nazi death camp,
Auschwitz-Birkenau, was liberated by Soviet troops. The Holocaust
resulted in annihilation of 6 million Jews.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN VICTIM OF KYIV CLASHES BURIED IN UKRAINE

15:52 ~U 27.01.14

Sergey Nikoyan, the Ukrainian-Armenian mankilled in the Kyiv clashes
last week, was buried Sunday in Bereznavotka, a village in the
Dnepropetrovsk region, Obozrevatel.com reported.

“Seryozha was consigned to earth. Hundreds of people had come to the
village where it was very difficult to get. They had queued up for
laying flowers. As his coffin was lowered, people started singing the
Ukrainian anthem,” a Facebook user, Boris Fiatov, said in a post on
the social networking site.

According to the Russian Komsomolskaya Pravda, hundreds had come to
the funeral ceremony to bid their last farewell to the activist.

Nikoyan, whose family is said to have moved to Ukraine from
Nagorno-Karabakh in 1990, was the only son of his parents, says
the publication.

“The Nikoyan’s family was very friendly; they always lived in peace.

Sergey easily learned Ukrainian at school. He knew the language so
well, that Taras Shevchenko become one of his favorite writers,”
Vladimir Khren, the mayor of Bereznavotka, was quoted as saying.

From: Baghdasarian

LACK OF STRATEGY IN RUSSIA

Throughout the history of the Islamic Republic in Iran, that is
since the Islamic revolution in 1979, the Soviet Union and then
Russia tried to pursue a policy of rude and cynical disregard towards
Iran. The purpose was to use the hard international situation of Iran,
subordinate its interests to Russia and sell up such “dependence”
to one of its dubious partners.

Any deal on supply of arms and technologies to Iran was accompanied
by staged performances, undue delays, speculative prices, and
most importantly, by political conditions which were, as a rule,
unacceptable for such a large and influential state. In the Soviet
political and historical literature one could read evaluations by
prominent diplomats and party leaders about the consequences of the
submission style in the foreign policy of the Soviet Union which
tried to treat fairly large states as its vassals.

In Tehran, not only the political circles but also intellectuals,
the scientific and technical corps, the military, journalists and
academics believed that Russia was acting towards Iran as a “senior
partner” without any reason for that, and it will end up in failure.

However, Iran demonstrated calm and restraint, getting sufficient
exhaustive information about Russia’s attempts to use the vulnerability
of Iran’s situation in its relations with not only the U.S. but also
Israel and Turkey.

Of course, most Iranians were annoyed by the influence Israel’s
political circles on Russia and attempts to block not only the
development of Russian-Iranian relations but also the Russian policy on
Iran on the international arena. Perhaps, in Moscow the current state
of Iran, that is the Islamic republic, was considered as something
interim; there may have been some knowledge about the new political
reality in the region but most probably there was a glaring omission
in the strategy that reflected the lack of long-term foreign political
interests of Russia’s ruling elite. But is this a basic condition
for such a short-sighted policy towards Iran?

Now when new relationships are forming in the region that will have an
impact not only on the situation in the Middle East but also in a huge
space, Russia is trying to correct its deplorable and rather awkward
situation, trying to rebuild its relationship with Iran. Attempts are
made to agree with Iran on some unimportant issues, such as the barter
of oil with aircraft (which is possible in a blocked state only).

However, even these ordinary attempts ran into a furious reaction
of Israel’s friends in Russia who mobilized the most respectable
media, realizing that Russia was facing the prospect of forced
“equal” relations with Iran. Not only political scientists and
politicians, but also economists, sociologists and cultural scientists,
religious leaders and clairvoyants have been mobilized. Moscow-based
propagandists went as far as to declare Shi’a as the ideological
basis of fascism. Moreover, Russia is assigned to the role of the
main responsible for the fate and the security of Israel.

Israel’s friends have very serious concerns about the loss of Russia
as the most comfortable living space and habitat. This would be
a breakthrough in a lasting policy of Israel which bid on Russia’s
strife for maintaining its status of a “senior partner” to Iran. This
breakthrough means removal of restrictions on supply of materials and
technology to Iran, which will lead to a solution of many problems
in this country in terms of defense and security.

However, it is not even a matter of supplies but the possibility of
Israel’s loss of its influence on Russia, which is considered by Israel
not only as a strategic partner but also a country of likely “return”
in the event of a catastrophe. Moscow is at a loss, primarily because
Russia “services” do not interest anyone e in the West, on which
Russia heavily relied not only in the West but also in the Middle East.

The most appropriate way to ensure Israel’s national security
is reconciliation and normalization of relations with Iran, not
confrontation with him. This policy of confrontation has spoiled
relations with the United States, and now, apparently , deterioration
of relations with Russia. Iran was not created in 1934 like the Jewish
Autonomous Region, and like Israel, it has a millennial history,
and the two countries will understand each other better than with the
assistance of all kinds of mediators who have fallen from the moon. In
this case, however, the question occurs who controls Russia? It is
said that the FSB does. And who controls the FSB?

Thus, we may state with confidence that strategic relations have
developed between Russia and Israel, which will, of course, lead to
shifts not only in the Middle East, but also in Eastern Europe and the
South Caucasus. Russia has already demonstrated its loyalty to Israel,
playing a major role in the withdrawal of chemical weapons from Syria,
pumping out money from this country that had been provided by Iran,
delivering Russian weapons to Damascus.

It is absolutely clear that such a nature of interests of Russia
and Israel will lead to big problems for Armenia, given its special
interests in Iran and problems with Turkey and Azerbaijan. It would be
interesting to find out (or rather, confirm the versions on) the role
of Israel and Israel’s friends in Russia to promote the interests of
Azerbaijan in Moscow. Friendship of peoples is great but what price
will other people have to pay for the friendship of Russia and Israel?

Armenian circles in Moscow (certainly not the ridiculous leaders
of controlled public and other organizations) are well-aware
of the problems and vicissitudes of various attempts to set up
Russian-Iranian strategic relationship in which they had the most
direct and largely productive participation. An example of different
efforts and initiatives of Armenians in Moscow in this aspect was,
for example, th well-known and widely discussed trips of the Russian
Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov to Tehran in 1997, which resulted
in a U-turn in this relationship but nonsense in Moscow’s policy was
not overcome. At the same time, well-known are the results of the
various influence on Russia’s policy on Iran, which had a negative
impact on Armenia.

Arguing about who controls Russia, one can assume that it is run
by Russians but Russia is a highly dependent state, experiencing a
strong deficit strategy.

As you know, the same expression has essentially different contents
if one changes just one dash.

Igor Muradyan,Political Analyst 12:12 27/01/2014 Story from Lragir.am
News:

From: Baghdasarian

MANOYAN: OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS TO SOME EXTENT ENCOURAGE AZERBAIJAN’S DESTRUCTIVE POLICY

15:07 27/01/2014 ” REGION

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group do not give a correct assessment
of the situation along the border with Azerbaijan, particularly to
the ceasefire violations by Azeri forces and its consequences, says
Giro Manoyan, Director of the ARF bureau’s Hay Dat and political
affairs office.

“With their allegedly balanced position, in actuality, the Co-Chairs
to some extent encourage Azerbaijan and its destructive policy,”
Manoyan told reporters in Yerevan.

According to the ARFD figure, the mediators should ensure Karabakh’s
full participation in the talks as a means of constraining Azerbaijan.

Manoyan stressed that if Azerbaijan goes on like this and continues
to violate the ceasefire, the Armenian authorities should reject
meeting Azeri officials [he means meetings of Armenian and Azeri
Foreign Ministers] in order to show the international community that
Azerbaijan’s destructive policy is unacceptable.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJANI MERCENARIES FIGHT AGAINST EACH OTHER IN SYRIA – ARMENIAN ANALYST

January 27, 2014 | 13:08

YEREVAN. – A large number of mercenaries from Azerbaijan are engaged
in the Syrian battles, and they very often fight against one another.

Arab Studies specialist Araks Pashayan noted the abovementioned at
a press conference on Monday.

In Pashayan’s words, many people in Azerbaijan say that perhaps
this resource should be directed at other regions, specifically
Nagorno-Karabakh.

“After all this, it is impossible to predict which force fights for
what in Syria” the analyst added.

The Arab Studies specialist also reflected on the UN-backed Geneva II
Conference on Syria, and she stressed that there are no substantial
changes following this international peace conference on the future
of Syria.

“I think that the talks between the Syrian government and the
opposition should continue behind closed doors,” Araks Pashayan stated.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

TURQUIE : LES EFFETS DE L’ENQUÊTE DE CORRUPTION

Publie le : 27-01-2014

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire la traduction de Gilbert Beguian d’un article en anglais
du site Today’s Zaman, mise en ligne sur le site de NAM (Nouvelles
d’Armenie Magazine) le 16 janvier 2014.

NAM

Les repercussions outre-Atlantique de l’enquete de corruption

Todays Zaman

De Lale Kemal

13 janvier 2014

D’après le premier ministre Erdogan, ” des conspirateurs a l’interieur
et a l’exterieur ” etaient derrière le scandale de corruption active
et passive devenu public le 17 decembre passe, et leur but ultime de
renverser son gouvernement pourrait inciter le Congrès americain a
adopter des resolutions qu’Ankara n’aimerait pas le voir adopter. Le
Congrès des Etats-Unis d’Amerique pourrait, par exemple, finalement
voter une resolution qui qualifierait de genocide les massacres de
masse des Armeniens sous le règne ottoman, une terminologie a laquelle
est farouchement opposee Ankara.

Le fait qu’Erdogan montre du doigt les USA, un allie proche de la
Turquie, comme etant parmi les conspirateurs exterieurs supposes
hostiles a son pouvoir, en designant specifiquement l’ambassadeur
americain sortant en Turquie, Francis Ricciardone, qu’il accusait
d’etre implique dans des actes de provocation lies au scandale de
corruption, a deja provoque l’ire de l’Administration americaine et
du Congrès des USA.

Le Congrès n’a pas aime qu’un ambassadeur americain soit traite en
ennemi dans un pays membre de l’OTAN, c’est-a-dire la Turquie.

La querelle impliquant Ricciardone a eclate lorsque les medias
favorable au gouvernement ont publie des articles le citant, disant
pendant une reunion a huis clos avec les ambassadeurs des pays de
l’Union Europeenne, qu’ils pourraient voir ” la chute d’un empire “,
c’est-a-dire celui de la Turquie. Il a egalement ete cite ayant dit
qu’il avait demande a la banque d’Etat Halkbank, dont le directeur
general a ete arrete pour corruption active et passive, d’arreter de
faire des affaires avec l’Iran, conformement aux sanctions decretees
contre ce pays par les Nations Unies.

La reunion supposee de Ricciardone avec les ambassadeurs des pays de
l’UE n’a apparemment meme pas eu lieu, suscitant des suppositions selon
lesquelles les citations attribuees a l’ambassadeur des Etats-Unis
avaient ete inventees.

Immediatement après les articles parus dans la presse, l’ambassade des
Etats-Unis d’Amerique a Ankara avait publie plusieurs communiques
sur son compte Twitter, indiquant que les Etats-Unis n’avaient
rien a voir avec l’instruction ouverte pour corruption, ajoutant,
” Toutes allegations dans de nouvelles histoires sont purs mensonges
et calomnie. ”

Comment la politique d’Erdogan consistant a viser Washington a travers
son ambassadeur affectera-t-elle les relations entre la Turquie et les
USA ? L’effet immediat prendra probablement la forme d’une attitude
negative du Congrès americain envers la Turquie.

En visant l’ambassadeur des Etats-Unis d’Amerique et en se fondant
sur des histoires peut-etre fausses, Erdogan a ironiquement offert au
Congrès americain une excuse sur un plateau d’argent pour le pousser
a adopter une resolution reconnaissant les evenements de 1915 dans
l’Empire ottoman, le predecesseur de la Turquie, comme etant un
genocide.

La Turquie soutient qu’il y a eu des morts des deux côtes,
lorsque les Armeniens se sont revoltes contre l’Empire ottoman en
collaboration avec l’armee russe et envahi l’Anatolie orientale pour
obtenir l’independance. Ankara insiste sur le fait que des historiens
d’Armenie et de Turquie devraient decider ensemble si les evenements
de 1915 constituent un genocide et que ce n’est pas la fonction d’un
parlement de voter des resolutions reconnaissant ces evenements comme
constitutifs d’un genocide.

En ce qui concerne l’executif, les presidents des Etats-Unis
d’Amerique font des declarations chaque annee le 23 avril, le jour
commemore par les Armeniens comme etant l’anniversaire du genocide,
mais ils ne vont pas jusqu’a reconnaître les evenements comme etant
un genocide. [Nota CVAN : les Armeniens commemorent le genocide
le 24 avril et non le 23] En avril dernier, dans sa declaration,
le president Obama a fait reference aux evenements en utilisant le
terme ” Medz Yeghern ” qui signifie ” grande tragedie ” en armenien,
au lieu de qualifier ouvertement les evenements de genocide.

Cependant, le Congrès americain utilisera probablement les
attaques d’Erdogan contre l’ambassadeur des Etats-Unis pour pousser
l’administration Obama a reduire ses relations avec la Turquie et il
pourrait finalement adopter une resolution qualifiant les morts des
Armeniens lors des dernières annees de l’Empire ottoman comme un ”
genocide ” des Armeniens.

La communaute armenienne d’Amerique est la communaute la plus influente
politiquement de la diaspora armenienne (les Armeniens vivant en dehors
de l’Etat armenien) du monde. Et c’est une communaute très influente
envers le Congrès des USA. Le senateur americain Robert Menendez,
president de la Commission des Affaires etrangères du Senat, vient
du New Jersey, où la communaute armenienne est très importante.

Par consequent, ce n’est pas une coïncidence si toutes sortes
d’histoires qui decrivent la politique du gouvernement turc dans le
processus de l’enquete de corruption, comme une tentative de l’etouffer
et d’empecher la justice de la poursuivre, ont fait leur apparition
dans les journaux locaux du New Jersey. La communaute armenienne
du New Jersey s’efforce d’influencer Menendez, afin qu’il utilise
les episodes de l’enquete de corruption en Turquie et les methodes
employees – en violation du droit – pour pousser vers une resolution
reconnaissant le genocide armenien.

De toute evidence, la communaute armenienne cherche a montrer la
Turquie negativement du fait de la facon dont le gouvernement turc a
gere l’enquete sur la corruption. Les Armeniens veulent prouver que
la Turquie n’est pas un Etat de droit, le gouvernement ayant interfere
avec l’action de la justice au cours de l’enquete de corruption, tout
en rappelant les brutalites policières soutenues par le gouvernement
turc contre les manifestants du Parc Gezi l’ete dernier, et tout en
citant les nombreux journalistes turcs emprisonnes pour leur opposition
au gouvernement.

2015 est le 100ème anniversaire des massacres des Armeniens a
l’epoque des Ottomans. L’an prochain, voire en avril cette annee, les
Armeniens d’Amerique demanderont au Congrès d’adopter une resolution
reconnaissant les evenements comme etant un genocide. Et le senateur
Menendez du New Jersey ne peut pas se permettre de refuser les demandes
de la forte communaute armenienne de sa circonscription.

Le debat sur le thème ” La Turquie est peut-etre une alliee de l’OTAN,
mais quelle est cette alliee qui viole les principes democratiques ?

“, a deja commence au Congrès americain après les manifestations
du Parc Gezi. La mauvaise gestion de l’enquete de corruption par
le gouvernement turc n’a fait qu’accentuer le sentiment antiturc au
Congrès americain.

Traduction Gilbert Beguian pour Armenews

jeudi 16 janvier 2014, Jean Eckian ©armenews.co

Correction C.Gardon pour le Collectif VAN

Artice en anglais :

Graft probe’s transatlantic effects

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : NAM

From: Baghdasarian

Lack of long-term thinking

January 25 2014

We are not used to make long-term plans for our lives. It is, perhaps,
partly national peculiarity, but basically, a phenomenon caused by
external factors. Planning can be made when the country is in stable
condition. During the Soviet period, for instance, I was planning to
become a PhD (I achieved), then an associate professor, then a
professor, to write about music, educate a few private students and so
on. The collapse of the Soviet Union hurled a stone on my plans.
Having a positive and light attitude towards life, I did not make a
tragedy out of it. They did and up to now are living under the
influence of this stress. In addition, for 22 years, we are constantly
living in the `turbulent’ situation and we can not say what will
happen tomorrow. Not to speak about a long-term plan. Uncertainty
about the future, to some extent, is generating from the mistrust
towards the authorities. Here, the real and popular folklore are
intertwined and become a stable stereotype. Recently, for example,
someone explained to me quite seriously, `Do you think that a ton of
heroin was really identified? No, they present that they have
identified it, they have shown it and now they will little by little
sell it. Have you seen that they had burned the heroin?’ That’s it.
Overwhelming majority of Armenia’s population does not believe that
any of our state officials, even theoretically, is capable of doing
something good. Of course, those, who `ex officio’ are engaged in
propaganda, also contribute to the strengthening of this folklore. The
habit of not making long-term plans and not believing in any
initiative of the authorities has been intertwined in the funded
pension issue. `If you give two penny to them (i.e. the government)
and tomorrow go and get it, they’ll tell you what money you, you have
not given me any money.’ The roots of such thinking are too deep, and
it is impossible to change it in one day. The matter is not only the
money lost in the Soviet savings banks, nor the banks `exploded’ in
the first half of 90s. The matter is that the government and the
parliament are constantly changing the rules of the game. In
particular, they are increasing the tax burden. Recently, for example,
I, not a big businessman, was made to buy a $1,000 CCM. The matter is
that we do not believe that our taxes that we are paying reach our
pensioners and budgetary workers, and are not possessed by our
managers, this way or another way. These taxes are added by an
additional 5 percent tax defined for people up to 40 years old. No
matter they say that it is not a tax payment, this 5 percent is
perceived accordingly. I, particularly, see the solution of this
`funded’ issue not in endless delay, anyway, this reform is necessary,
but in adoption of a decision agreed upon by all parliamentary
factions and, naturally, in compliance with the Constitution. I hope
that times when the president was calling the members of the
Constitutional Court and imposing them to pass this-or-that decision
are gone.

ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
Read more at:

From: Baghdasarian