Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

`Ones who may die for truth’

June 7 2013

Now, when Surik Khachatryan is a former official, my estimates will be
more moderate. You will say why, isn’t he the same person who
`occupied’ the Governor’s Office of Goris with armed detachment, whose
name is connected with multiple murders, beatings, rapes, and who
personally and with his `bodyguards’ was keeping the whole Syunik Marz
in fear. Yes, it’s about the same Liska, but about a man who
significantly has less leverage since yesterday to continue his
`activity’, as well as to settle scores with those criticizing him.
(The sons-in-law are out the count. their threats are coming from
narrow personal sphere). If we keep talking about the former Governor
of Syunik in the same spirit as we were talking during his tenure, we
will be similar to those politicians and commentators who were getting
on their high horses after February 1998, condemning `the previous
criminal regime’. Therefore, it’s time to talk not about the
personalities, but the values. The interpretation of what happened,
according to the system of values, is as follows: `The Budaghyan
family behaved a little wrong towards Surik, so Surik, a guy who may
die for truth and self-esteem, solves the issues like a true Armenian
man.’ Now, if we put aside the fact of being a Governor and the former
heroic deeds of given person, let’s admit whether this explanation is
not acceptable for the majority of population of Armenia. Whether
these norms adopted in the joint world of criminals, oligarchs and the
`official’ are not included in the scope of general understanding of
our public. Whoever holds a knife in the hands, slaughters, whoever
has a rifle in the hand (for example, in the army), shoots. So how can
they go against the truth? So far as just such guys become not only
governors, but also members of parliament, oligarch and authority, in
other words, they have reached the desired peak of their life, it is
very natural that the majority of teenagers and young people are
oriented by such standards of life and such system of values. The main
topic of conversation in their neighborhood is, who how many cars,
house and a bodyguard has. Their parents discuss the same topics: they
have this, they have that, but the poor people … A situation is
created that reminisces the era of Brezhnev: in those times people
were talking about high values from the official tribunes, about
execution and re-execution of the plan, but the majority of population
was dreaming about to become a `workshop man’, a storekeeper, an
inspector, a prosecutor, or a secretary of the Regional Committee, and
enjoy the life. So as today, whatever is officially said about
patriotism, national values, or, I do not know, nzhdehism, absolutely
`does not meet’ the reality. First of all, due to such characters as
Liska. Aram ABRAHAMYAN

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© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia’s cucumber and potato exports increase sharply

June 08, 2013 | 01:48

YEREVAN. – As of Thursday, a total of 11,600 tons of fruits and
vegetables were exported from Armenia this year, the Agriculture
Ministry informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

>From these exports, 1,063.5 and 5,687.6 tons were cucumbers and
potatoes, respectively.

As a result, Armenia’s potato and cucumber exports grew 4.3 and 145
times, correspondingly, as compared to the year past.

In the same period in 2012, a total of 1,687.5 tons of fruits and
vegetables were exported from Armenia, and this included 7.3 tons of
cucumbers and 24.6 tons of potatoes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

KARABAGH
Tentative d’incursion azérie repoussée au Haut Karabagh cette nuit,
près de Horadiz

Dans la nuit du 6 au 7 juin vers 2 heures du matin sur près de
Horadiz, au sud de la frontière entre le Haut Karabagh et
l’Azerbaïdjan, les forces azéries ont tenté une incursion sur le
territoire arménien. Mais les forces arméniennes de la République du
Haut Karabagh ont réplique et mis en fuite l’ennemi qui a rebroussé
chemin. Nous ne savons pas si l’ennemi a des pertes humaines. Mais du
côté arménien, aucune perte n’est à déplorer, selon le ministère de la
Défense du Haut Karabagh. Malgré le cessez-le-feu signé en 1994, c’est
la seconde tentative d’incursion en moins d’une semaine.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 8 juin 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Interfax, Russia
June 6 2013

Armenian military schools begin admitting women

YEREVAN. June 6

The Armenian Defense Ministry has for the first time announced that
women are now admitted in the country’s military educational
establishments.

Women older than 18 can now file for admission in military schools,
the ministry press service told Interfax.

Women will be admitted by the Vazgen Sarkisyan Military Institute and
the Aviation Institute named after Marshall Khanperyants.

Defense Ministry press officer Artsrun Ovannisyan told Interfax the
decision is part of the military reform.

“The reforms will boost the combat potential of the Armed Forces and
strengthen the public’s confidence,” Ovannisyan said.
av

From: Baghdasarian

Daughter of Montserrat Caballe is impressed by Armenia

20:38, 7 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenian National Academic Theatre of
Opera and Ballet after Alexander
Spendiarian has gathered opera singers and just art lovers. The reason
was master class given by famous Spanish operatic soprano
Montserrat Caballe. `Armenpress’ was informed from the daughter of
Montserrat, famous soprano Montserrat Marty that it was the first
visit to Armenia and she and her mother are greatly impressed.

`Everything seems to be magic as people are really happy to see my
mother. We are also happy to be in Armenia’, shared with her
emotions Montserrat Marty. `We enjoyed greatly our visits to churches
in Artsakh and here, it is very interesting for us, especially because
we are also
Christians’ mentioned the daughter of Montserrat, highlighting that
most of all she is impressed with local people. During the master
class Caballe
listened with great attention to nearly twenty Armenian singers. At
the master class were present Minister of Culture of Armenia Hasmik
Poghosyan,
wife of ArmenianPrime Minister Gohar Sargsyan.

World famous Spanish operatic singer Montserrat Caballe also visited
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The singer was hosted by President
Bako Sahakyan on June 4. On June 5 she visted Gandzasar. She did not
hide her admiration.

Azerbaijani media reverberated to the visit of Montserrat Caballe to
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. But in that country people have
difficulties in understanding the aim of the visit.

Azerbaijani Medias mentioned that several years ago she had concert in
Baku but in future it will be impossible. Official Baku does not give
visas to people who have visited Nagorno-Karabakh Republic without
`Azerbaijani permission’.

On June 9 Caballe will have concert in Armenian National Academic
Theatre of Opera and Ballet after Alexander Spendiarian. The singer
will stay in Yerevan for nearly ten days. On June 8 is planned her
meeting with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

From: Baghdasarian

ARG CEO shrugs off allegation that gas price rose by 15 percent

YEREVAN, June 7. /ARKA/. CEO of Armenia’s Russian-controlled natural
gas operator ArmRosGazprom (ARG), Vardan Harutyunyan, shrugged off
today allegations that the price of Russian natural gas shipped to
Armenia via Georgia has increased by 15 percent. Speaking to
journalists, he said the price for households has been raised only by
9 percent.

Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) has set today a
new price for households consuming up to 10,000 cubic meters a month
raising it from previous 132 drams per one cubic meter to 156 drams,
including VAT. The new price will become effective from July 7.

“In calculating the rise of the price it is necessary to take into
account the exchange rate of the Armenian dram against USD. An
objective calculation shows that the rise is 9 percent and not 14-15%,
as claimed by some people,” Harutyunyan said.

He said when the PSRC had set the old price of 132 drams the USD cost
380-383 drams, now it costs 415 drams. “Given this, we can see that
the price of gas has increased by only 9%,” he concluded.

ArmRosGazprom is the only supplier and distributor of Russian natural
gas to Armenia.. Some 80 percent in the company that was founded in
1997 is owned by Rusisan Gazprom, the rest -by Armenian government. ($
1 – 414.92 drams). -0-

From: Baghdasarian

ISRAEL N’A PAS RECONNU MGR NOURHAN MANOUKIAN, LE NOUVEL ARCHEVEQUE ARMENIEN DE JERUSALEM

Israël ne reconnait pas le 97e Archeveque armenien de Jerusalem Mgr
Nourhan Manoukian qui fut pourtant elu il y a quelques semaines a la
tete de l’Eglise armenienne a Jerusalem et devait exercer ses fonctions
dès le 5 juin a l’eglise Sourp Hagop dans le quartier armenien de
Jerusalem. La règle veut que les communautes chretiennes de Jerusalem
placent a la tete de leur eglise, une personnalite reconnue a la
fois par Israël, la Jordanie et les autorites Palestiniennes de la
ville sainte. La non-reconnaissance unanime pouvant entrainer des
consequences diplomatiques.

Mgr Nourhan Manoukian est aujourd’hui reconnu par les autorites
Palestiniennes, la Jordanie, mais pas par Israël. Un fait qui pourrait
compliquer les relations de l’Eglise armenienne avec les autorites
israeliennes. Il y a quelques semaines le nouvel Archeveque armenien
de Jerusalem a peina elu avait denonce l’attitude hostile d’Israël,
envers la reconnaissance du genocide armenien. Une prise de position
qui n’a sans doute pas ete du goût du gouvernement israelien.

Krikor Amirzayan

vendredi 7 juin 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN TO SUE ARMENIA IN INTERNATIONAL COURT

MilAz.info
June 6 2013

Azerbaijan will sue Armenia in an international court for the payment
of compensation, because of damage as a result of the occupation,
said Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee for Work
with Refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov, APA reports.

Hasanov said the appraisements are being carried out with the
participation of international experts and the scale of damage
is being calculated. According to the first calculations, the
occupation has caused more than $300 billion: “The President of
Azerbaijan instructed that the appraisements should be carried out
at the international level. The document is being developed with the
participation of International Society of Appraisers. The document will
be prepared by the international appraisers with the participation
of Azerbaijani scientists, economists and NGOs representatives. The
Azerbaijani government doesn’t interfere in the document and will not
interfere. The Azerbaijani side will make a demand for compensation
after the document is developed. It is their question whether Armenia
will pay this compensation or not. For years, Armenia has not been
extracting only minerals, they live at the expense of our other
resources.”

The deputy minister said the reason that Azerbaijan had not taken this
step up now was any expectation for the settlement of the conflict:
“But we didn’t see it and decided so.”

Hasanov said that despite the recovery of economic loss is possible,
but the recovery of moral damage is impossible.

From: Baghdasarian

‘TURKISH SPRING’ HAS COME: KURDS AND ALAWITES MOVE IN THE SAME DIRECTION – IRANIAN EXPERTS

15:15 06/06/2013 ” COMMENTS

By Armen Israyelyan, Iranian studies expert

Large-scale protests have been raging in Turkish cities for about
one week. According to reports of Western media, about 2,000 people
have been detained during the protests, dozens have been injured in
clashes with police, and three people have been killed.

Tehran has neutral position on Turkey events. Iran believes that this
is the domestic issue of Turkey. Following the detention of an Iranian
citizen during a protest in Ankara, an attempt was made to represent
that allegedly Iran is involved in the protests, but Iranian Foreign
Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Araqchi told semi-official Fars news
agency in an interview that Iran is not involved in Turkey protests
and that this is the domestic issue of Turkey. Iranian media actively
cover Turkey events, with regional experts and analysts presenting
their views.

Hassan Hanizade, Iranian expert on Middle East and the Iranian-Arab
relations, speaking of the causes of Turkey protests in an interview
with Fars news agency, said that people’s discontent with the policy
of Erdogan government, Ankara’s stance on Syria, provision of several
Turkish military bases to Syrian Salafist groups, supply of chemical
weapons to terrorists have sparked public anger, leading to large-scale
protests.

Speaking of possible involvement of Kurds in Turkey protests,
the Iranian analyst said, “Erdogan has deceived Turkey’s Kurds. He
gave promises to them during recent talks between Kurdish leaders
and Erdogan’s government, but has not carried them out. Most of PKK
members, giving away weapons, understood that they were deceived by
Erdogan. Therefore Kurds participate in protests across Turkey.”

Hassan Hanizade noted that Kurds and Alawites, whose number reaches
30 million (Turkey’s population is about 72 million), move in
the same direction, and have great possibilities to change some
directions of Erdogan’s policy. The Iranian analyst, commenting
on the future developments in Turkey, says, ‘”Turkish spring’ has
come. People paid a high price for it, and do not intend to give
up their demands. The non-Islamic and inhumane actions of Turkish
authorities against protesters are evidence of the fact that Erdogan
does not care for public opinion. Certainly, Erdogan’s government
should have stepped down, but there is no word like “resignation”
in the political scientific literature of his government. The only
thing Erdogan thinks about is how to strengthen his power.”

From: Baghdasarian

NEW GAS TARIFF SET BY ARMENIAN REGULATOR – 156,000 DRAMS PER 1,000 CUBIC METERS

YEREVAN, June 7. /ARKA/. Armenia’s public services regulatory
commission approved the new gas tariff of 156,000 drams (including VAT)
for customers with consumption of up to 10,000 cubic meters monthly
at its meeting Friday.

The tariff was 132,000 drams before the revision. The commission’s
decree will come into force as from July 1st.

On May 14, ArmRosgasprom cjsc and TransGas limited filed an application
with Armenia’s public services regulatory commission for review of
the current gas price. The application suggested increasing the price
for customers with monthly consumption of up to 10,000 cubic meters
from the current 132,000 drams (including VAT) to 221,000 drams
(including VAT).

On May 16, Armenian premier Tigran Sargsyan said the government will
provide 30% subsidies if the gas price rises.

ArmRosgasprom closed joint stock company founded in 1997 holds the
monopoly for gas supplies and distribution on Armenia’s domestic
market. The company’s stockholders are Russian Gazprom (80%) and the
Armenian government (20%). -0-

From: Baghdasarian