Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

COMMUNAUTE-CANNES
Cannes a rendu hommage à Gaspard Kayadjanian

Cannes a rendu hommage à Gaspard Kayadjanian, l’ex-président de
l’Union des Arméniens de Cannes et des environs, disparu en novembre
dernier. Samedi 18 janviers, au Square Verdun dans le jardin d’Arménie
le député-maire de Cannes, Bernard Brochard, dévoilait la plaque
apposée en hommage à Gaspard Kayadjanian. La cérémonie s’est tenue en
présence d’Henri Leroy, maire de Mandelieu -d’origine arménienne et
frère du journaliste Charles Villeneuve-, André Aschieri, maire de
Mouans-Sartoux, Annie Kassighian, conseillère municipale représentant
Chrisitan Estrosi le maire de Nice et de Suzy Parakian, la président
de l’Union des Arméniens de Cannes et des environs. La cérémonie s’est
déroulée devant un large public de personnalités et d’amis. Evoquant
Gaspard Kayadjanian , le maire de Cannes a souligné « son travail pour
la défense de la culture arménienne et son histoire ». Mais c’est le
discours vibrant de la nouvelle présidente de l’Union des Arméniens de
Cannes, Suzy Parakian qui fut la plus vibrante et émouvante. Suzy
Parakian a rappelé « l’homme exceptionnel par sa générosité, sa
fidélité et son dévouement ».

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 25 janvier 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
Une adolescente blessée par des tirs azéris dans le nord de l’Arménie

Une adolescente dans un village arménien situé non loin de la
frontière avec l’Azerbaïdjan dans le nord-est du pays a été blessée
jeudi lorsque les forces azéries ont continué leurs violations du
cessez-le-feu selon un responsable local.

Les villages d’Aygepar, de Nerkin Karmiraghbyur, Movses et Chinary
auraient été sous le feu de l’armée azérie toute la journée avec des
tirs vers les maisons et les routes.

Une jeune fille de 16 dans dans le village d’Aygepar a été blessée
selon les rapports des médias citant l’administration locale.

S’exprimant lors de la réunion du Cabinet de jeudi le ministre de la
Défense Seyran Ohanian a déclaré que les tensions sur la ligne de
contact au Karabagh ainsi que le long de la section nord-est de la
frontière arméno-azerbaïdjanaise ces derniers jours étaient plutôt le
résultat de la panique côté azerbaïdjanais en prévision d’une
représailles arménienne pour la violation majeure de la trêve dans la
nuit du 19 au 20 janvier qui a causé la mort d’un militaire arménien
au Karabagh.

samedi 25 janvier 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

AZERIS ‘PANICKING’ AND SITUATION AT BORDER UNDER CONTROL: ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER

01.23.2014 17:10 epress.am

There is tension on the Azerbaijani front; they are panic-stricken,
said Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan ahead of the government
meeting today, responding to RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s
request to report on the incident on the “contact line” on the night
of January 19-20.

“This panic is reflected not only on [Karabakh’s] Line of Contact with
Azerbaijan, but also in shots fired in Armenia’s northeastern region.

We don’t respond to casual shots; we only respond to regular firing
and sniper shots,” he said.

The defense minister said that on the night of Jan. 19-20 the
Azerbaijani sabotage group suffered losses and retreated due to the
selflessness and skilled actions of Sergeant Armen Hovhannisyan,
who was posthumously awarded a medal for courage.

Ohanyan also reassured the cabinet that the situation is currently
under control, and “our compatriots should never fear, as our soldiers
carry out their service as they [always] have.”

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT AUSTRIA

21:43 ~U 22.01.14

Austrian President Heinz Fischer hosted on Monday the heads of foreign
diplomatic missions in Austria.

During a short meeting with Armenian Ambassador to Austria Arman
Kirakosyan, President Heinz Fischer conveyed his greetings to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan.

The sides discussed the preparations for the Armenian president’s
visit to Austria scheduled for this June.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

CAUCASIAN RED DEER TO BE BROUGHT TO ARMENIA FROM RUSSIA

by Karina Manukyan

Wednesday, January 22, 09:18

The program on restoration of the Caucasian red deer population in
Armenia is entering its crucial phase.

Head of WWF Armenia Karen Manvelyan has told ArmInfo that the talks
on acquisition of the Caucasian red deer are already underway. The
rare species will be brought to Armenia from Russia and probably from
Georgia and Iran, too. Manvelyan said that a total 15 deer (3-4 male
deer and 11-12 female deer) will be acquired in June-July 2014.

Construction of open-air cages for protection and breeding of the
deer will be launched in Dilijan National Park in spring. He said
that Armenia has already received the relevant equipment from Germany.

The program on restoration of the population of the endangered species
has had no analogues throughout the history of independent Armenia.

The first offsprings of the Caucasian red deer will be released in
5 years. To note, this species is listed in the Red Book and the
International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The total cost of the program is about 500,000 EUR.

From: Baghdasarian

PHILANTHROPIST HARRY NADJARIAN TO RECEIVE PRIDE OF HERITAGE AWARD

January 22, 2014 – 11:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Well-known humanitarian and philanthropist Harry
Nadjarian will be the recipient of the 2014 Ray R. Irani Pride
of Heritage Award, presented by the Lebanese American Foundation,
organizers announced, according to Asbarez.

Nadjarian, who is the chairman of the Board of Directors of Industrial
Motor Power Corporation, is being recognized for his commitment and
philanthropic efforts, as well as his civic leadership and unyielding
dedication to the local Lebanese-American community.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, he immigrated to California in 1975, following
the start of the Lebanese civil war. In 1977 Nadjarian entered the
diesel engine and parts rebuilding industry.

In 2000, he founded Industrial Motor Power Corporation. Today, IMP
Corporation is one of the largest privately owned industrial power
equipment trading companies in the world. Headquartered in Burbank,
California, the company supplies industrial generators and power plants
from 500 KW to 200 MW. IMP provides substantial power resources within
the United States, Africa, the Russian Federation, the Middle East,
and South America.

Nadjarian serves on multiple Boards, including the Board of Trustees
of Haigazian University in Beirut Lebanon, The Amideast, Lebanon
Advisory Board, and The Board of Directors of The Lebanese American
Foundation etc.

“There are certainly many far more successful people than me out there,
but so long as I can do my share, I find fulfillment and contentment
in that,” said Nadjarian.

The Nadjarians continuously donate to many charitable organizations,
schools, and religious institutions.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY PARLIAMENT LEADER VISITS HOSPITALIZED FAMOUS ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

January 21, 2014 | 13:46

Cemil Cicek, Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey, paid a visit to
renowned Istanbul-Armenian photographer Ara Guler, who recently was
hospitalized.

Cicek was interested in Guler’s health condition, informs the official
newspaper of the Turkish government.

To note, the famous photographer was urgently taken to the intensive
care unit of an Istanbul hospital on the evening of January 16, and due
to kidney failure. But Guler’s health condition subsequently improved,
and therefore he was moved to a hospital room.

Ara Guler, who was recognized as the “Photographer of the Century”-and
who is also known as “the Eye of Istanbul”-was born in the city
in 1928, and he began his journalistic career in 1950. He has
received many Turkish and international awards and titles, and he
has photographed numerous world-renowned personalities.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

BARRIERS TO ENTRY IN THE ARMENIAN MARKET

Balkans.com Business News
Jan 21 2014

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bne – 21.01.2014

For more than a year, Yerevan has been anticipating the opening of the
first Carrefour supermarket, expected shortly after the French retail
giant launched in neighbouring Georgia in September 2012. However, the
chain’s entry into the Armenian market has been held back reportedly
by a group of local oligarchs who control the lucrative imports of
food and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) to the country.

While Armenia has seen an opening up of sectors such as air transport
in 2013, the country’s economy remains one of the most monopolised in
the region, according to a World Bank report. The high concentration
of ownership among a handful of powerful individuals is a significant
barrier to competition and economic growth.

Opposition to Carrefour’s entry to Armenia is believed to be led
by Samvel Alexanian, the ultimate owner of both Armenia’s largest
supermarket chain, Yerevan City, and its largest food importer, Alex
Grig. Alexanian’s control over the prices of two key imports – flour
and sugar – would be threatened by the entry of the world’s second
largest retailer to the market. Alexanian is also rumoured to have
rented the largest retail space at the Dalma City Mall in Yerevan for
a Yerevan City supermarket to prevent Carrefour from using the space.

Carrefour is now expected to set up its first Yerevan store at another
mall, Yerevan Mall, which is due to open in February, and the French
chain is advertising for local staff. In his latest statement on the
issue, France’s ambassador to Armenia, Henri Reynaud, told a press
conference in December that the launch was imminent. “It should not
be forgotten that France is the number one investor in Armenia. I
would like to inform you that the entrance of Carrefour to Armenia
is expected in mid-2014,” Reynaud said, according to Armenpress.

Government officials including Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan have
also weighed into the case. Sargsyan promised in early 2013 to do
everything possible to ensure that Carrefour was able to enter the
Armenian market. However, the lengthy delays have highlighted the
level of power wielded by the businessmen who hold sway over many
parts of the economy.

Barriers to entry

A World Bank report published in November singles out monopolisation
and a lack of competitiveness as one of four key problems holding
back development of the economy, along with problems connected to
investment, job creation and transport links. “Competition is… of
crucial importance for the dynamism of the economy. Pro-competition
reforms and effective implementation of antitrust rules can lead
to significant productivity gains and consumer savings,” reads the
report titled “Republic of Armenia: Accumulation, Competition and
Connectivity”.

“Barriers to competition exist in different sectors partly because of
the characteristics of government contracts, discriminatory rules and
inadequate regulations, and particular aspects of market structure,”
says Ulrich Bartsch, the World Bank senior country economist and
co-author of the report.

According to the World Bank report, Armenia has a larger share of
monopolies than other countries in the region, with 60% of markets
exhibiting “an oligopolistic or monopolistic market structure”.

Problem sectors include air transport, gas, electricity, railways and
professional services, as well as retail. “Insufficient competition
affects regulated sectors such as utilities and natural monopolies,
and certain markets with a small number of firms, such as petroleum,
sugar, wheat, and cut flowers,” says the report. “Competition is
limited because of barriers to entry, ownership concentration, market
dominance, and vertical and horizontal integration.”

A study by the Yerevan-based Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation, with support
from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung foundation, published earlier in
2013 agrees that certain sectors are “highly monopolized”, which “has
led to abuse of market power, market distortions, lack of economic
competition for goods and services they provide, and persistent market
entry barriers.”

Progress was made in some areas during 2013, most notably in the air
transport sector. Armavia, which dominated the sector until early 2013,
declared it was filing for bankruptcy in April. This paved the way
for an opening up of the sector, with the government drawing up an
“open skies” strategy after consultancy McKinsey & Company completed
a study of the sector. Any airline meeting technical standards can
now operate on routes between Armenia and Russia, and connections to
other destinations such as Dubai have also been opened up, resulting
in a sharp fall in prices.

Bartsch tells bne that the bank was “very pleased” with developments
in Armenia’s aviation sector since the report was compiled. “Following
Armavia’s exit, and the declaration of “open skies” by the Armenian
government, we have seen a number of indications that competition
in the sector is improving, and foreign operators are improving the
connectivity of Armenia with the rest of the world,” Bartsch says.

Armenia’s National Competitiveness Foundation forecasts that the cost
of air tickets – previously around 60% higher than in neighbouring
countries – will drop by between 10% and 50%, resulting in a 20-25%
increase in passenger numbers.

However, the opening up of the air transport sector has not been
matched by progress in other parts of the economy. In the retail
sector, there is still no firm date for Carrefour’s launch, while
monopolisation increased in the gas sector in 2013. As Yerevan moved
closer to Russia in the second half of the year, the government agreed
to sell the 20% of ArmRusGazprom still controlled by the state to
Gazprom, which already owns 80% of the company.

bne-Clare Nuttall

From: Baghdasarian

ARF WESTERN US CENTRAL COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT ON SOLDIER’S DEATH

Tuesday, January 21st, 2014 | Posted by Contributor

Armenian Revolutionary Federation

GLENDALE-The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western US Central
Committee on Tuesday issued an announcement condemning the killing of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Armed Forces soldier Armen Hovhannisyan on
Monday and announced a special requiem Mass on Sunday to commemorate
the brave hero.

Below is the translated text of the announcement:

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western US Central Committee
and all our members in the region respectfully bow to the memory of
the heroic soldier Armen Hovhannisyan who was martyred during his
service to protecting our national borders.

We unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan’s provocative maneuvers and
reiterate our unwavering solidarity to the guarantor of the defense
our nation-the armed forces.

Martyrdom in the name of protecting the Armenian homeland is the
ultimate sacrifice in the eyes of the ARF and Armen Hovhannisyan
became an example of that sacrifice by demonstrating his heroism and
giving his life.

Let us honor the memory of our martyred hero. This Sunday, a requiem
Mass will be said in memory of Armen Hovhannisyan and all other fallen
soldiers at St. Mary’s Church in Glendale. Immediately following the
Mass, a community gathering will take place in front of the Armenian
Cross Stone located in the church courtyard.

ARF Western US Central Committee

From: Baghdasarian

THE ISSUE OF JUSTICE

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 21 2014

We understand from the speech our prime minister delivered to our
ambassadors that the government is preparing to prioritize the
100th anniversary of the First World War against the Armenian lobby
activities for 2015.

I find this correct. Different results come out of presenting the
tragic incidents of 1915 as “Turks started massacring out of the blue”
and approaching this incident within the context of the catastrophes
of the First World War.

In the same speech, the prime minister reiterated his known “parallel
state” discourse and emphasized, “They are using every way to
intimidate international investors.”

However, for the government to be credible from the perspective of the
confidence of investors and also from the diplomatic angle, it has to
eliminate the concerns it created on the independence of the justice.

Among members of the judiciary themselves, the concern that executive
is intervening with the justice branch is becoming widespread.

According to a recent survey conducted by “adalet.org” website, only 19
of the participating judges and prosecutors find the last reassignment
of the prosecutors done by the HSYK positive. For various reasons,
the rate of those who find them negative, as well as an intervention
is 81 percent.

It was indeed a decree that was against legal practices.

The total rate of judges and prosecutors who say the structure of the
HSYK should continue is 79 percent. Those who say, “This board cannot
contribute to the independence of the judiciary; it has to change”
is only 21 percent.

Only 6.4 percent of judges and prosecutors think the bill submitted
to Parliament for the government to make an operation on the HSYK is
right; 89 percent consider it an intervention with the justice system.

Some 4.6 percent have not declared an opinion.

Ninety percent of the participating judges and prosecutors consider
the reassignment of police directors, “obstructing the investigation
and interfering with the judiciary.”

Can you see how different the executive and judicial powers think? Not
only this survey… The government swiftly changed the “Judicial Police
Regulation,” enabling police directors to be effective in investigative
affairs and the HSYK issued a statement on Dec. 26 declaring this was
against the Constitution. The government continues referring to this
as the “illegal declaration.”

However, 80 percent of judges and prosecutors see this declaration
as “the defense of the independence of the judiciary.” Moreover,
the Council of State and General Assembly of Case Departments have
also rejected the government’s objection on this matter.

To say the “Community” is influencing these acts is not
persuasive… It does not work… Here, in the criticisms from the
European Union, there are warnings regarding the “independence of
the judiciary” with strong expressions.

Could the reason of these reactions be because of being scared of
major investments like the “third bridge, the third airport…”?

There could indeed be some European companies and establishments that
do not want these projects built due to competitive sentiments, but
it is far from convincing to associate these projects to a topic like
“independence of the judiciary.”

Look, the EU Progress Reports had applauded the amendments introduced
through the 2010 referendum, a year when our economy was much more
dynamic, as “a significant step taken toward the direction of judicial
independence.”

Now, it would indeed draw reactions and shake confidence to say those
reforms were a mistake and make judiciary inspectors dependent on
the Justice Minister.

Judicial independence is vitally important, both to have a say and to
build confidence in the investors, in the years 2014 and 2015 against
the storms likely to erupt in world politics.

Taha Akyol is a columnist for daily Hurriyet in which this piece
was published on Jan 20. It was translated into English by the Daily
News staff.

January/21/2014

From: Baghdasarian