Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIA SETS FINAL YIELD OF 6.25% ON SEVEN-YEAR EUROBOND

Reuters
Sept 19 2013

By Davide Scigliuzzo

Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:22pm IST

LONDON, Sept 19 (IFR) – The Republic of Armenia’s has set a final yield
of 6.25% on its upcoming issue of a benchmark-sized US dollar bond.

The sovereign, rated Ba2 by Moody’s and BB- by Fitch, released initial
price thoughts of 6.375% area on the issue earlier on Thursday.

Books on the issue were heard approaching USD2bn with US orders still
to come in before the guidance revision, according to market sources.

The senior unsecured 144a/Reg S bond is expected to price later on
Thursday via Deutsche Bank, HSBC and JP Morgan. (Reporting by Davide
Scigliuzzo; Editing by Sudip Roy)

From: Baghdasarian

HERITAGE PARTY LEADER INVITES ARMENIANS TO PAN-NATIONAL PROTEST (VIDEO)

22:24 19.09.13

In a speech delivered at the Karabakh war veterans’ weekly rally in
Yerevan, the opposition Heritage party’s leader called upon the crowd
to attend a pan-national protest on Friday.

“Our flag will not lose its value in foreign capitals; it will be the
glory and honor of the war heroes,” he said. “You have put your lives
on the altar for freedom. It is now time for all of us to unitedly
bow to the national state flag. And the one who is brave must stand
by the freedom fighters, following suit. That’s our duty,” Raffi
Hovhannisian said.

The politician said the coming days’ campaign to be held ahead of
the independence anniversary is not something to be confused with
the struggle between the East and West [the conflicting processes
between Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union and the EU Association
Agreement].

“We are obliged to bring the flag to the United Armenia, by holding
it up together. At six o’clock tomorrow, [we’ll be here for] a
pan-national protest, because that sovereignty is at stake today,”
he told the crowd.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER DISCUSSED WITH UN REPRESENTATIVE ISSUES RELATING TO HAKOB INJIGHULYAN

18:50, 19 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS: On September 19, Mr. Davit Tonoyan,
First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia had a
meeting with Mr. Christoph Bierwirth, UNHCR Representative in Armenia
and discussed prospects of general cooperation in relevant spheres of
mutual interest. “Armenpress” was informed from press service of the
ministry that during the meeting Mr.Tonoyan inter alia touched upon
the situation concerning the Armenian POW Hakob Injighulyan held in
Azerbaijani captivity.

He referred to a recent press release on an Azerbaijani media outlet
quoting Mr.Shahin Sailov, Secretary of State Commission of Azerbaijan
on POW, Detainees and Missing in Action who said that the Armenian
POW Hakob Injighulyan reportedly made a request to be sent to a 3rd
country. If this information is not yet another propaganda trick
on part of the Azerbaijani authorities, the logical follow-up would
suggest engagement of the UNHCR office in Baku according to its mandate
to proceed with determination of a refugee status for H. Injighulyan.

He also informed that the Armenian side has reiterated its pledge for
several times that Injighulyan will not be subject to any criminal
prosecution thus eliminating any possibility of “well-founded fear of
being persecuted”, especially when no other grounds exist to confirm
this fear based on race, nationality, religion, political opinion, etc.

Emphasizing the above-mentioned facts he called upon UNHCR and
other stake holders to consider these facts in their approach when
addressing such cases. The First Deputy Minister noted that granting
Injighulyan a “refugee status” could be understood as a chance for
him to escape inevitable physical abuse, torture or other tragic
consequences as experienced before in similar cases such as Manvel
Saribekyan’s- a shepherd who was brutally killed while being captive
under Azerbaijani protection.

However, it was emphasized that negative precedents should be avoided
thus the course of action should be considered extremely carefully
given the complex pattern. Mr. Bierwirth took note of the position
expressed by the First Deputy Minister and promised to share it with
his headquarters in Geneva. He emphasized, however, the independence
of UNHCR in conducting mandate status determination procedures and
the purely humanitarian, non-political mandate of UNHCR.

In addition it was stated that Armenia is ready to discuss such cases
on a bilateral level with Azerbaijan without mediation efforts in
existing international or any other frameworks and formats.

Serviceman of NKR Defense Army Hakob Injighulyan at about 03:00 at
night of August 7-8 during his service did not manage to orient in the
territory and crossed the Karabakh-Azerbaijan border and appeared on
the territory protected by the rival’s troops.On the next day he was
taken to Baku. Representatives of Baku office of the International
Committee of the Red Cross managed to hold two meetings with him.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY MARKED IN ITALY

September 19, 2013 | 11:33

YEREVAN. – On Wednesday evening, the Armenian Embassy in Italy
organized a reception devoted to the 22nd anniversary of Armenia’s
independence.

The event brought together state, political and public figures of
Italy, ambassadors accredited in Rome, and representatives of the
Italian-Armenian community.

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian, who is on an
official visit to Italy, addressed those present at the reception,
informs the Armenian MFA press service.

“The restoration of Armenian statehood was the age-old dream of
our people. The Armenian nation’s will to have a free and democratic
country, the imperative of ensuring the security of Armenia and Artsakh
[i.e., Nagorno-Karabakh], [and] the achievements in state-building
serve as a source of inspiration for millions of Armenians in the
world.

“The Armenian-Italian relations bear a seal that has two thousand
years of history, whereas diplomatic relations between Armenia and
Italy solely have a 21-year history.

“Over the course of the past two decades, we were able to give
a new quality to bilateral cooperation. There is a solid legal
and contractual framework; thirty agreements are signed. The
Italian-Armenian community contributes to the strengthening of
bilateral friendship.

“What has been done in the last twenty years is our joint
accomplishment, and we are determined to continue the joint efforts
to further strengthen our partnership,” Nalbandian specifically stated.

From: Baghdasarian

COURT AGAIN DECIDES OPPOSITION YOUTH TO REMAIN IN JAIL AMID SPECULATION ABOUT POSSIBLE SEPTEMBER 21 AMNESTY

Human rights | 19.09.13 | 11:49

Photolure

By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

At Wednesday’s session the Appeals Court again rejected the request of
the counsel for the defense for opposition activist Tigran Arakelyan,
who has spent more than two years in jail on a six-year imprisonment
sentence, to be set free while his appeal was being heard.

More than 100 prominent people, including MPs, journalists, actors,
civil society representatives, had presented their guarantees
for Arakelyan to be released. On September 10, four non-governing
factions of the National Assembly, including the Armenian National
Congress (ANC), Heritage, Prosperous Armenia and Dashnaktsutyun,
made a statement with the similar request concerning Arakelyan and
also refereeing to three other activists who face imprisonment.

Despite the fact that 110 people have personally guaranteed that the
defendant will show proper conduct and follow all required procedures
and was also ready to pay a bail of half a million drams (about
$1,250), the court decided not to take into account these petitions.

Some members of the public attending the trial met this decision of
the court with great indignation, shouting “Shame, Shame”.

Arakelyan was convicted of hooliganism and using violence against a
police officer and sentenced to six years in prison. He has been in
jail since August 9, 2011.

The issue of Arakelyan’s remaining in jail again became a subject
of public debate after ex-Syunik governor Surik Khachatryan’s son
Tigran was released from custody and cleared of murder charges about
two weeks ago. Investigation had found that by shooting and killing
a businessman and wounding his brother, Khachatryan and the former
governor’s bodyguard acted in self-defense. At the previous court
session Arakelyan himself fumed over this case, saying that “some
murderers get released even before the trial, while he has been jailed
for years on charges of breaking some police officer’s nose.”

The ANC believes that the court’s refusal to change the measure of
restraint in relation to Arakelyan is a “message” of the authorities
to the society – “if the authorities want, people can spend long
years in prison.” The ANC has repeatedly stated that Arakelyan is a
political prisoner.

Meanwhile, some media reports lately have suggested that President
Serzh Sargsyan is preparing an amnesty bill on the occasion of the
22nd anniversary of Armenia’s independence, which will be marked on
September 21 and that it will also apply to Arakelyan. This, media
speculate, will help the government “get rid of the burden of having
a political prisoner”.

According to the Zhoghovurd newspaper, a political decision on
releasing Arakelyan has already been made and he will be set free
under the general amnesty to be declared on the occasion of the
September 21 anniversary.

But the ANC legal affairs office, Armen Khachatryan, is not so
optimistic.

“Only the press is aware of this amnesty. An amnesty is a law, which
is to be adopted by the National Assembly, and the National Assembly,
as far as I know, at least at this moment, has no such bill on its
agenda,” Khachatryan told ArmeniaNow.

The last time a general amnesty was declared in Armenia was in 2011
– on the 20th anniversary of independence. At that time among those
released from jail was also Haykakan Zhamanak editor-in-chief, now
member of the ANC parliamentary faction Nikol Pashinyan.

Arakelyan’s lawyer said that in the event of an amnesty his client
himself would decide whether he wanted to be amnestied or not.

From: Baghdasarian

ALMOST ALL SYRIAN-ARMENIANS APPLYING TO MINISTRY OF DIASPORA GET JOBS

11:22, 19 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The Syrian-Armenians’ flow to
the Republic of Armenia increased in recent days. Some part of them
applied to the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia to find
job and shelter. “Armenpress” had a conversation regarding these and
many other issues with the Head of Staff of the Ministry of Diaspora
of the Republic of Armenia Firdus Zakaryan.

– Mr. Zakaryan, how many Syrian-Armenians moved to Armenia in
accordance with the recent information?

– Currently there are about 10 thousand Syrian-Armenians living in
Armenia. The flow of the Syrian-Armenians to the Republic of Armenia
has been activated recently, notwithstanding they come not directly
from Syria, but from Lebanon. Some part of them, which has to face
certain problems here and have neither relatives nor acquaintances
in here, apply to us.

– How many Syrian-Armenians have job in the Republic of Armenia?

– Approximately 1000 Syrian-Armenians applied to the Ministry
of Diaspora to find job. Due to the efforts made by our Ministry
and other Governmental Departments, they all have already found
job. There is one fascinating feature, which is very characteristic
to the Syrian-Armenians – they are very hard-working, organized,
and have ability to gather their all compatriots around them. (THE
FULL VERSION OF THE INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)

Article by Ruzanna Movsisyan

From: Baghdasarian

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY APPEALS TO GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

12:40, 19 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS: The society of Egypt wants that
the government of the country recognizes and condemns the Armenian
Genocide. This was reported to Armenpress by the representative of
Egypt in the Commission for Armenian Affairs Awareness Organizations,
the lobbyist Armen Mazlumyan. “The people of Egypt are the friends
of the Armenian nation. They know the history of the Armenians and
know that what had happened is a genocide, as Egypt is one of the
countries, which open-armed accepted the Armenians, who survived from
the Genocide”, – said Armen Mazlumyan.

The representative of Egypt in the Commission for Armenian Affairs
Awareness Organizations appealed to the Armenians from all over
the world to be more active ahead of the centennial of the Armenian
Genocide.

Earlier Armenpress reported that Egypt could become the first
Muslim country to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915 organized
by the Ottoman Empire. This was published by the Italian website
Vatican Insider, touching upon the unprecedented step of the lawyer
Muhammad Saad Khairallah, who for the first time in the history has
submitted an accusatory claim against Turkey on the organization of
the Armenian Genocide. The Egyptian Court will consider the case on
November 5. Muhammad Saad Khairallah stated about it for the first
time during the talk-show held on September 4. He expressed his hope
that his claim will make Egypt recognize the Armenian Genocide thus
serving an example for the other Arab countries.

During the talk-show a proposal was sound to erect a monument
commemorating the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide in Cairo,
the capital of Egypt.

From: Baghdasarian

LEVON TER-PETROSSIAN MET EN GARDE CONTRE TOUTE RHETORIQUE ANTI-RUSSE

ARMENIE

Le premier president de l’Armenie et chef du Congrès National Armenien
(ANC) Levon Ter-Petrossian a appele ses partisans a eviter toute
rhetorique anti-russe dans le cadre de la situation autour de la
decision officielle d’Erevan de rejoindre l’Union Douanière.

” Aujourd’hui, je vois qu’il y a un danger pour nous. Recemment Serge
Sarkissian a ete presente comme un homme politique pro-occidental
large d’esprit, alors que nous etions presentes comme des forces
pro-russes obscures. Maintenant, après que Serge Sarkissian ait fait un
revirement de 180 degres, les memes forces essaient de nous etiqueter
comme russophobes ” a declare Levon Ter-Petrossian lors d’une reunion
du conseil d’administration de l’ANC.

Le premier president a rappele qu’il a mis en garde contre les humeurs
pro-russe et anti-occidentale a de nombreuses fois.

Aucun dirigeant de l’ANC doit faire une declaration scandaleuse contre
la Russie, son peuple ou Poutine a dit Levon Ter-Petrossian.

” Nous devons realiser que nous ne sommes pas un element marginal et
irresponsable, mais une force politique institutionnelle serieuse et
une alternative ayant une comprehension complète de la responsabilite
de l’Etat ” a dit le premier president.

Selon Levon Ter-Petrossian, après avoir recu une offre de l’Europe de
signer un accord d’association, Sarkissian aurait rencontre Poutine
et lui a dit ” L’Europe propose cela, qu’est-ce que vous pouvez offrir
en reponse “.

” Il s’agit d’une obligation diplomatique de partenariat naturel, et si
le resultat de toute facon doit etre l’adhesion a l’union douanière,
ce serait un partenariat plus digne et plus avantageux et l’Armenie
gagnerait beaucoup plus que dans la situation humiliante courante ”
a dit Levon Ter-Petrossian.

Pourtant, selon Levon Ter-Petrossian, Bruxelles ne va pas brûler les
ponts avec l’Armenie, ne renoncera pas a ” flirter ” avec elle et va
garder l’espoir d’un succès a l’avenir.

L’ex-president a egalement declare qu’il ne peut pas proceder a des
evaluations de l’union douanière avant que les economistes etudient
ses limites et ses avantages.

jeudi 19 septembre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

PASADENA’S FITTING TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: EDITORIAL

San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA
Sept 18 2013

Pasadena City Hall was entirely correct this week to approve the
placement in the city’s Memorial Park of a monument to the dead in
the Armenian Genocide.

More than a million Armenians died in the slaughter of 1915 at the
hands of Ottoman Turks. Many Southern California cities have been
enriched by the presence of large Armenian-American refugee communities
from the diaspora that began during and after that time.

But Pasadena’s Armenian community goes back much farther than most –
there are fourth- and fifth-generation families in the city. M.S.

Pashgian was an early settler, business and cultural leader and
instrumental in founding of the Tournament of Roses, and served as
grand marshal of the, as it happens, 1915 Rose Parade. And former
Pasadena police Chief Barney Melekian’s grandparents owned a bakery
in the city. Armenian Pasadenans are as entrenched in the city’s long
history as are Latinos and African Americans.

Two controversies dogged the proposed new memorial in recent months
in a park that is now set aside for memorials.

There was a competing proposal for a memorial by another group
of local Armenians than the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial
Committee, which is sponsoring this plan. That was awkward, and
reflective of a long split over many issues, from religion to
politics, among Southern Californians whose descendants came from
the South Caucasus. It’s akin to the internal polarization of other
peoples for whom war and economics have forced a diaspora, like the
Chinese split over loyalty to the Nationalists of Taiwan or to the
Beijing government. But this committee got its full act together
first, sponsoring a fine competition among local art students that
was judged by, among others, prominent architect and New Urbanist
planner Stefanos Polyzoides and was won by Art Center College of
Design student Catherine Menard. Several of the 17 entrants were
from Armenian families themselves; Menard is not, which shows the
open-mindedness of the competition and the fact that Armenian history
is part of the history of all of us by now.

To their credit, the competitors of the Armenian Community Coalition
have dropped their proposal in the name of not squabbling about
something so somberly important. If they did not show up at a recent
City Council meeting to formally back the current design for the
memorial, they have graciously decided not to publicly object.

Other demurs came recently from veterans who said that Memorial Park
should be set aside only for monuments to Americans who have fought in
the nation’s wars. It is true that there is a longstanding Civil War
monument there. There is a Vietnam War memorial inscribed with the
names of the 31 men from Pasadena who died in that conflict. There
is even a Batchelder fountain “Dedicated To Our Mothers By Daughters
Of Union Veterans Of The Civil War 1861-1865.” And there is a coming
proposal to place a Korean War memorial there based around the legacy
of Medal of Honor winner Reginald Desiderio, which would also be a
welcome addition to the park.

But public spaces grow in their significance through proper additions.

Memorial Park was once Library Park, and still contains the entrance
arch of Pasadena’s first free library. There will never be room
for every memorial in its limited acreage. But for this moving and
appropriate design, there very much is room.

From: Baghdasarian

XACMAZ WORKER AGAINST BASHAR AL-ASAD…INTERVIEW WITH FORMER FIGHTER IN SYRIA

Yeni Musavat, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2013

>From time to time the national and foreign press report the killing
of Azerbaijanis who take part in the fighting in Syria. The corpses
of some of them have even been displayed on the YouTube channel.

Furthermore, video statements by several Azerbaijani fighters in Syria
have also been broadcast. It is said that they fight in various Syrian
cities for the military units and the opposition against the Bashar
al-Asad regime. It is also said that the number of those who go from
Azerbaijan to Syria to fight is on the rise. The parent of one of
them recently said in an interview with ANS TV that they sometimes
talk on the phone.

[Passage omitted: Previous reports about fighters in Syria]

We are looking for a young man who left his home in this village to
fight in Syria and returned after being wounded. The village resident
who heard we are looking for Anar Mahmudov said: “You are looking
for Anar who was wounded in Syria”. After receiving our answer,
he pointed us to Mahmudov’s house.

Mahmudov was born in 1988. He was not eager to talk with us. Although
the video interview had been agreed, he tried not to reply to
questions with concrete answers. He often asked us to switch off the
camera and expressed his dissatisfaction with how the questions were
constructed. In general, he talked about his involvement in the Syrian
war very briefly, in a disjointed and irregular fashion.

He said that he studied in the village high school in former Xacmaz.

He began praying a year ago. He said that he saw Muslims dying in
Syria and decided to go. His family was not aware that he will go
to Syria. In February 2013 he went to Turkey and then crossed the
border into Syria. According to him, he stayed in a house in the
place called Artma outside the Syrian capital together with eight
people of different nationalities. Mahmudov said that he had no links
with fighters who came from Azerbaijan and that there were people of
various ethnicities: “I worked in Xacmaz as a low-skilled worker. It
is possible to go to Syria with 150 manat. I went on bus to Turkey
and from there reached the border with Syria. I stayed in a place
called Artma in a house with eight other people.

People are not blind and they see that Muslims are killed in Syria.

Fighting occurred outside the place where we stayed. When I was on
the post I received a bullet above the knee. I was wounded and they
took me to a hospital in another place. Then I returned to Azerbaijan
because of the wound. I spent just six months in Syria. I came in
February and returned in July”.

We say that we wish to take a photograph and video of the wound to
his leg. Mahmudov vehemently opposes this. To justify this he said
that religion prohibits him from showing the part above the knee.

Mahmudov said that Muslims in Syria wish for Sharia law: “Just like
there were Afghans in the Karabakh fight, I too went to Syria. Muslims
want Sharia law in Syria. This is a jihad on the road to God. Religion
tells us to fight against those who fight us. Sheikh Fovza has a
fatwa about the jihad. This fatwa obliges us to fight infidels”.

Sheikh al Fawzan has a call to Khawarij on social networks. In the
statement he says “it is essential that you obey your leaders who
call on you to march and fight”.

Mahmudov said that camps have been set up in Syria: “Some fought and
some served as sentries. I have not seen my leader. I returned from
Syria myself. My family did not know when I left. What could they say
when I returned? They would not evict me from the house. I returned,
but I have no job here”.

In general, this youngster who fought in Syria left open and unanswered
many of our questions. He did not say who he met after crossing the
Syrian border, how he ended up in Artma, who welcomed him and how
supplies of food and water were organized. Neither did he answer
our question as to whether the security agencies questioned him. He
only said that they put many photographs in front of him and asked
whether he saw any of them in Syria. Mahmudov did not wish to talk
about his answer.

In former Xacmaz people say that about 10 people went to fight in
Syria. In general, people with long bears and three quarter length
trousers can be often seen in the districts. There are reports that
a fellow spirit funded Mahmudov’s involvement in the fight in Syria.

This also gives grounds to say that many youths like Mahmudov will
travel from the northern region to Syria…

[Translated from Azeri]

From: Baghdasarian