Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Armenian families face great number of challenges – priest

13:31 • 15.05.13

Today marks the International Family Day. Speaking to reports today on
that occasion, Rev. Yesayi Artenyan, referring to Armenian families,
said that today they are facing a great number of challenges.

He said today many people marry for acquiring ‘status’. “People do not
realize why they marry and how they must create healthy relationship
in the family,” he said.

“For solving this issue somehow, we have a person who speaks with
newly-weds, gives advices. The issues the young families face today
vary – starting from social ending with psychological ones,” the
priest said.

Rev. Artenyan noted that many couples apply to the church for settling
their problems. “We are trying to unite families and not the
opposite,” he stressed.

Psychologist Anna Badalyan said family is a complicated organic
structure and added that psychological services to families have
expanded.

She said men have started visiting psychologists often to get
consultation on how to preserve their families.

Speaking about Armenian families, she said their peculiarity is
devotion. “Devotion toward one another… but it is necessary to
remember that extreme devotion is like psychological violence,” she
explained.

Anna Badalyan stressed three phases of family crises. The first one
according to her is when the couple just marries and has to adapt to
each other, the second one comes after the birth of the first child
and the third one in the age of 30-40.
Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

KARABAGH
La production industrielle au Haut-Karabagh atteint 3,02 milliards de drams

La production industrielle a atteint 3,02 milliards de drams en
janvier 2013 soit 0,6% de moins qu’un an auparavant a annoncé le
Service national de la statistique de la République du Haut-Karabagh.

L’industrie minière du Haut-Karabagh a représenté 24,6% de la
production industrielle, l’industrie de transformation 33,5% et la
production et la distribution d’énergie électrique, de gaz naturel et
d’eau 41,9%.

mercredi 15 mai 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
Edouard Nalbandian à Paris

Plusieurs agences de presse rendent compte de la visite officielle
d’Edouard Nalbandian à Paris et de sa rencontre avec le Ministre
français des AE, Monsieur Laurent Fabius. Selon le communiqué du MAE
arménien, le Ministre français a félicité son homologue pour sa
reconduction, tout en qualifiant les relations franco-arméniennes
d’excellentes. Edouard Nalbandian a pour sa part décrit cette relation
de « particulière, basée sur une amitié séculaire », tout en
considérant comme allant de soi qu’il effectue sans attendre sa
première visite en France au lendemain de sa reconduction en tant que
Ministre des AE. Les deux Ministres se sont félicités du dialogue
politique entre les deux pays, de la présence de nombreuses sociétés
françaises en Arménie et de la coopération active dans le domaine
culturel et éducatif. Les Ministres ont souligné, selon le MAE
arménien, l’importance de l’élargissement de la coopération
économique, M. Nalbandian ayant salué la croissance des
investissements français et toute nouvelle initiative en ce sens. Ils
ont également discuté des relations entre l’Arménie et l’UE, de la
prochaine présidence arménienne du Comité des Ministres du Conseil de
l’Europe, du partenariat au sein de l’OIF. Les deux Ministres se sont
en outre penchés sur plusieurs dossiers internationaux, dont le
nucléaire iranien, la crise syrienne et le conflit du HK. Edouard
Nalbandian a hautement apprécié l’implication positive de la France en
tant que coprésidente du Groupe de Minsk et réaffirmé la détermination
de l’Arménie à parvenir à un règlement du conflit par la voie
pacifique.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Arménie en
date du 14 mai 2013

mercredi 15 mai 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Holy Land church leaders say clergy mistreated

Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 10:48 AM

A dozen senior church leaders in the Holy Land say Israeli police
“ill-treated” clergy, including a Coptic Egyptian cleric, during
Orthodox Easter services.

This reminds me of the article from Ha’aretz several years ago
entitled “Christian… (May 13, 2013, by USmotto)

JERUSALEM – A dozen senior church leaders in the Holy Land say Israeli
police “ill-treated” clergy, including a Coptic Egyptian cleric,
during Orthodox Easter services.

The leaders signed a letter on Sunday expressing concern and saying
policemen allegedly used force and prevented clergymen and pilgrims
from entering places of worship during Holy Saturday earlier this
month.

The event drew thousands of people to Jerusalem’s Old City and
hundreds of Israeli police were on guard during the day.

A spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Paul Hirschson, says Israel
apologized this week to Egypt for the incident on Holy Saturday, which
involved a Coptic Egyptian cleric. He said the incident was being
investigated.

Israeli police said they received no formal complaint about the incident.

From: Baghdasarian

Pashayan: Israeli-Syrian tension unlikely to escalate into war

Tuesday,
May 14

`The current situation in Syria can be described as a crisis, but I
think the tension in Israeli-Syrian relations is unlikely to escalate
into a war,’ Ms. Arax Pashayan, an expert in Oriental studies, told
the correspondent of Aysor.am.

In her words, the Bashar Assad regime has always implemented a
moderate and balanced policy on Israel.

`The latest development related to Israel’s bombing of Syria may only
increase tension, but I think this tension is unlikely to escalate
into war,’ A. Pashayan noted.

Commenting on the developments within Syria, she expressed an opinion
that Bashar Assad will be able to retain power in the near future so
it is too early to speak about his regime’s overthrow.

`The national security of Syria has notably weakened because of the
military situation,’ the expert stressed. In her opinion, the
religious, ethnic and ideological differences among various opposition
forces will make it hard for Syrian opposition to unite.

`I don’t think that against the backdrop of the current differences,
the Syrian opposition will achieve success in terms of unification and
the formation of an alternative government,’ Pashayan noted.

13.05.2013, 17:52
Aysor.am

From: Baghdasarian

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
May 14 2013

Wise Persons hear minority woes

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
by Vercihan ZiflioÄ?lu

Members of minority communities voice their problems and demands,
including churches, schools and districts inhabited by minority
populations, during the Wise Persons Commission’s Marmara Group
meeting at an Armenian Church in Istanbul

The Wise Persons Commission’s Marmara region sub-group met with
representatives of minority communities on May 11 at the Feriköy Surp
Vartananzs Armenian Church Å?irinoÄ?lu Hall.

During the meeting, many subjects were discussed including issues of
identity and citizenship, the Lausanne Treaty, discriminatory
expressions in course books, damaged cultural assets of Anatolia, the
new constitutional process, changes to some street names such as Talat
PaÅ?a, Ergenekon, and KurtuluÅ?, the districts inhabited by minority
populations, the exclusion of films representing minorities as hostile
enemies from archives, and the church and school problems faced by the
Syriac community.

Members of the minorities also voiced concerns that the bid for
democracy and equality could potentially be interrupted, as it had
been in the past.

At the meeting, daily Apoyevmatini’s Editor-in-Chief Mihalis
Vasiliadis referred to a Turkish proverb, `A fool may throw a stone
into a well, which a hundred wise men cannot pull out. We will see how
many wise persons could pull out the stone,’ he said.

Huge gap between state, minorities

Vasiliadis also said there was a huge gap between the state and
minority communities, asking whether there was an effort to narrow
this gap. He also shared his daily life experiences to illustrate how
hard it is to be a minority in Turkey.

Vasiliadis also demanded support from one of the commission members,
renowned actress Hülya KoçyiÄ?t, for the exclusion of films that have
hostile expressions or symbols against minorities.

Meanwhile, Harutyun Å?anlı said the course books including hostile
remarks towards minorities should be withdrawn as soon as possible.
Å?anlı said the period of the Justice and Development Party (AKP)
government had become a turning point for minority communities.
`Though our state authorities are as close as a phone line, there are
still some red lines in between,’ he said.

Å?anlı also recalled the Foundations Law, which was enacted about two
years ago, `First they returned our own lands to us, but then the
municipality said they needed a green area in Istanbul,’ Å?anlı said.

Also, Laki Vingas, who is in charge of minority foundations in the
Foundations Directorate General, said the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an did not touch upon the minority communities in his speeches.

`For 90 years, we have claimed our rights, and been regarded as
strangers. They always expected us to obey. We demand our reputation,
not some rights sold on credit,’ Vingas said.

There were also some tense moments during the meeting. The
representatives of minority communities objected to the meeting’s
description as a `meeting with non-Muslim minorities,’ while the
members of the Peace and Democracy party (BDP) reacted against the
delegation head Deniz Ã`lke ArıboÄ?an’s use of expressions such as `PKK
terror’ and `Kurdish terror.’

The commission, which was founded with the aim of providing a peaceful
atmosphere in the resolution process of the Kurdish issue, is expected
to submit a report to the government on June 14.
May/14/2013

From: Baghdasarian

ENPI Info Centre
May 14 2013

EU Delegation in Yerevan launches Europe Day youth competition

14-05-2013

The EU Delegation to Armenia has invited young people who are keen to
bring change to their communities to take part in a youth competition
titled `My Scrapbook of Change,’ organised in the framework of Europe
Day 2013.

The contest announcement said the EU supports development and reforms
in Armenia and `would like to hear what young people think and how
they want to create positive change’ in their country.

The young people are invited to think about the change they want to
see in their community,suggest a solution, find an example of a
similar solution in a European country and show how the results can be
practiced in their community. Ideas can be submitted in the form of
texts, captions, photos and videos on Pinterest. They should cover the
following areas:
· Culture
· Education
· Environment
· Health/wellbeing
· Human Rights
· Social and economic issues (including how to reduce poverty)
· Youth

The deadline for submitting the applications is 20 May. The results
will be announced during the Europe Day celebration on 25 May. The
winner will receive a free flight ticket to a European country.

From: Baghdasarian

25-year-old Armenian killed in Kamishli, Syria

21:13 – 14.05.13

A 25-year-old Armenian, Sako Manukyan, was killed in Kamishli, Syria,
on Monday, the Khabar Armani news website reports.

He was reportedly killed while defending the Armenian neighborhoods
together with other Armenian young men.

One more report says his gun fired when the young man was cleaning it.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the Syria conflict over
the last three years. Forty Armenians have reportedly been killed.

From: Baghdasarian

St. Hovhannes Church of Abovyan consecrated

19:02 14.05.2013

Karen Ghazaryan
`Radiolur’

Today His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, presided over the Service of Consecration for the St.
Hovhannes Church of Abovyan in the Kotayk Diocese.

The ceremony was attended by the Presidents of Armenia and Belarus
Serzh Sargsyan and Alexander Lukashenko. The construction of the
church has been financed by leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party
Gagik Tsarukyan.

Among the attendees were also Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,
ex-President Robert Kocharyan and his spouse. Gagik Tsarukyan
expressed gratitude to all those who accepted the invitation to be
preset at the consecration ceremony.

From: Baghdasarian

*Small hydropower plants threaten rivers in Armenia – environmentalists
(video)*

10:34 =95 14.05.13

Photo from the Ecomonitoring Armenia website

The Armenian environmentalists are concerned over the growing number of
small hydropower plants across the country.

They think that the plan for building 170 new plants in addition to the
existing 139 is too much for the water resources of a small country like
Armenia.

`We think that 139 is already too much. Yes, using the water resources is
good, but if such a use causes drainage of entire rivers, that naturally
gives rise to environmental and social problems, which we now eye-witness.
And the more this goes on, the more [problems] we will see,’ Levon
Galstyan, a member of the Pan-Armenian Environmental Front, told Tert.am.

The first environmental protest in this series was the one against the
construction of hydropower plant near the Trchkan waterfall (which is
between the Shirak and Lori regions). The freshest example was the protest
in Marts village (Lori region), that saw the villagers throw huge
hydropower plant pipes into a gorge.

Speaking to Tert.am, Marts governor Robert Galstyan said the plant’s owner
now wishes to talk to the village’s population who are concerned over the
future of their meadowlands (which provide food to the cattle) and yards.

`The communities are against because if there is one hydropower plant on
the river, they have already seen the consequences, so the attempts for
building the second or third meet the community’s resistance,’ Galstyan
said, adding that there are now six or seven hydropower plants on the river.

The environmentalist noted that the state encourages the sector, offering
loans at low interest rates. He said licenses for the use of water
resources allow reducing the water level in rivers to an impermissible
minimum.

In a video material posted on the Ecolur environmental NGO’s website, a
coordinator of the UN regional convention, Aram Gabrielyan, enumerated
small and big drained rivers, saying that they no longer exist.

Below we present footage by Yeghia Nersisyan, an environmentalist, who
shows the process of Chichkhan river’s evaporation after supplying water
to
a hydropower plant.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian