Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ERGENEKON PROSECUTOR: PATRIARCH MESROB MUTAFYAN WAS TARGETED FOR ASSASSINATION

12:36, March 21, 2013

Istanbul Armenian Apostolic Church Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan was just
one of several prominent figures in Turkey targeted for assassination
by the group Ergenekon in an attempt to destabilize the country
according a lead prosecutor in the case.

As reported in yesterday’s Today’s Zaman, prosecutor Ali Pekguzel
presented his final opinion to an Istanbul Court, arguing that the
terrorist group had sought to create disorder in Turkey through
seventeen subversive plans and thus lead to a coup d’etat.

One of the plans, according to the prosecutor, was to murder prominent
figures in the country and lay the blame on the ruling Justice and
development Party (AKP).

In addition to Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan, others marked for
assassination were the former chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court
of Appeals, Abdurrahman Yalcınkaya; former Chief of General Staff
retired Gen. YaÅ~_ar Buyukanıt; world-renowned writer Orhan Pamuk;
Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir; Kurdish lawmakers Sebahat Tuncel
and Ahmet Turk; Federation of Alevi-BektaÅ~_i Associations (ABF)
head Ali Balkız.

Prosecutor Mehmet Ali Pekguzel is seeking life imprisonment for 64
defendants and up to 15 years for 96 others.

The defendants include Turkish officials, retired military officers,
journalists and scholars.

From: Baghdasarian

IF AZERBAIJAN ALLOWS PUTTING THE STEPANAKERT AIRPORT INTO OPERATION, IT WILL DE FACTO RECOGNIZE NAGORNO-KARABAKH

March 20 2013

According to Arif Yunusov, a famous Azeri political scientist, Ilham
Aliyev will surely lose power; it is only a matter of time. * Mr.

Yunusov, why does Baku respond to reopening the Stepanakert airport so
aggressively, if there is a line of communication between Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh anyway? What is the problem? * It is a law of conflict
resolution; it is not that Azerbaijan is against communications between
Yerevan and Stepanakert. The issue is different; let us call a spade a
spade. If Azerbaijan allows aircrafts to land at that airport, tomorrow
an issue of arrivals from other countries will be raised. Those will
not be only aircrafts from Yerevan. Since Karabakh is not a subject
of international law, aircrafts cannot land in or take off from it,
given the international status. If Azerbaijan allows, it will de
facto recognize Nagorno-Karabakh; this is the problem. It is the
same as to ask why Azerbaijan demands that Western diplomats visit
Karabakh, getting Azerbaijan’s permission. Certainly, one can say:
“Let them visit, what is the problem?” But the same issue underlies
this. Why has Georgia adopted the Occupation Act? We don’t have such
a statute yet, but, by the way, it can be adopted; one should be ready
for Azerbaijan’s adopting such a statute. So all this does not concern
the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, but the law of conflict
dominates here, i.e. if two people conflict, one of them should always
look for a reason to create a worse situation for the other, and the
other party should do that too. If there is no conflict, there will be
no difference whether an aircraft lands or not, there will be technical
issues, which will quickly be solved; it is about the Karabakh conflict
settlement. * However, now the issue of the Stepanakert airport has
become an issue discussed within the scope of the Karabakh conflict
settlement in the OSCE Minsk Group. So it turns out that new problems,
which stalemate the negotiating process, arise. * The Minsk Group is
an obstacle in itself, since, given the institution of co-chairs,
if the two parties cannot agree or don’t want to agree, someone or
a few of them emerge, and it is clear that they have their interests
in the conflict. Let us consider the co-chair countries.

Does Russia have its interests? Certainly, it does. Does France have
interests? Certainly, it does. Does the United States have? It also
has. So besides ostensibly trying to settle the conflict, they pursue
their own interests in the region. That those interests don’t coincide
also impedes the settlement, and we have witnessed that many times
in the history of the settlement process. When one of the co-chair
countries expects a rather active development, the other co-chair
countries don’t want that. I have always stated that I am against the
institution of co-chairs. Negotiations will start when the Armenians
and the Azeris start to talk to each other directly. When it is done
through a certain party, both you and we try to influence Russia
or the US. So, realizing that they have their roles and interests,
we also start to act like that, which, in turn, causes a conflict
of interest. And that the parties don’t talk to each other directly
testifies to the fact that we don’t trust each other, i.e. we don’t
really want to settle the conflict. When people in Azerbaijan and
Armenia talk about compromise, ask what is compromise for the Armenians
and what is compromise for the Azeris; to each of the parties, it is
compromise in its favor. The issue of the airport is actually easy
to solve, if there is mutual trust, and when there is no trust,
there is fear; nothing succeeds. * Mr. Yunusov, what is going on
in Azerbaijan? It is known that there are protests, the government
seems to be anxious, and there is great social discontent. Is that
only social discontent, or is it also political discontent with
the authorities? * All that combined. There is social discontent in
Azerbaijan, and it manifests itself in villages; a tide of discontent
rose there because of permissiveness and corruption. And political
discontent is related to elections, the Karabakh conflict etc. and
manifests itself in Baku. It is all mixed up in our country. It
is just that discontent with the government gradually grows in our
country. Those are challenges; this is also called a challenge in
conflict resolution, when something pressures society, society has
to respond adequately, if it cannot, it will lose. If we consider the
authorities in our country, then one is under the impression that they
live in a glass palace, and they don’t always realize what is going
on in society. Sometimes the authorities themselves cause problems,
while one could solve those problems very easily. Sometimes I try
to understand why they act like that in this or that case; then I
realize that they don’t respond adequately to the situation, they
don’t understand the situation correctly – people are discontent,
there are social problems, low wages, an earthquake and a flood
happened in our country, people suffer – but on the other hand, there
is total permissiveness. * So there is danger today that Ilham Aliyev
will lose power? * It depends on the period you mean. Ilham Aliyev
will surely lose power; it is only a matter of time. The question
is when. I don’t think that it may happen this year, but there is no
doubt that he will lose power, and there will be an explosion in our
country. EMMA GABRIELYAN Aravot Daily

Read more at:

© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

From: Baghdasarian

MINISTERS OF CULTURE OF ARMENIA AND GEORGIA TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF CULTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION

11:53, 21 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Culture of the Republic
of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan paid a visit to Georgia. Hasmik Poghosyan
visited Georgia on the invitation of the Minister of Culture and
Monument Protection of Georgia Guram Odisharia.

The Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Culture of the
Republic of Armenia informed “Armenpress” that during the visit the
sides will discuss issues regarding the ways of future development of
the Armenian-Georgian cultural cooperation. A number of issues on the
preservation of historical and cultural heritage in the territory of
the two countries and the 2013 program of bilateral cooperation will
be under discussion at the course of the meeting.

Among other things discussions regarding holding joint events within
the framework of “Aram Khachaturian’s 110 Anniversary” program have
been involved in the agenda of the visit as well.

From: Baghdasarian

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : UN PASSE QUI NE PASSE PAS

Publie le : 21-03-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Soiree exceptionnelle
organisee par le Collectif VAN [Vigilance Armenienne contre
le Negationnisme], le vendredi 5 avril 2013 a 20h precises, a
l’Auditorium d’Issy-les-Moulineaux/Cine d’Issy. Rencontre-debat avec
les journalistes Laure Marchand (Le Figaro) et Guillaume Perrier (Le
Monde) a l’occasion de la parution de leur livre ” La Turquie et le
fantôme armenien ” preface par Taner Akcam (Editions Solin – Actes
Sud). Suivie de la projection du film “Le Fils du marchand d’olives”
(2012) realise par Mathieu Zeitindjioglou, avec Anna Zeitindjioglou
et Jean-Claude Dreyfus – Duree : 1h17min. (Zelig Films Distribution).

Entree : 5,40~@. Seance de ventes-dedicaces avec les auteurs du livre
et l’equipe du film.

Dans le cadre des commemorations du genocide armenien de 1915 placees
sous l’egide de la Ville d’Issy-les-Moulineaux

Le Collectif VAN [Vigilance Armenienne contre le Negationnisme]
presente a l’Auditorium d’Issy-les-Moulineaux/Cine d’Issy

Le vendredi 5 avril 2013 a 20h precises

Une soiree exceptionnelle “Genocide armenien : un passe qui ne
passe pas”

———————————–

1ère partie

Rencontre-debat avec Laure Marchand & Guillaume Perrier a l’occasion
de la parution de leur livre La Turquie et le fantôme armenien preface
par Taner Akcam (Editions Solin – Actes Sud).

Une vaste enquete de terrain sur la memoire du genocide dans la Turquie
d’aujourd’hui, menee par deux journalistes, Laure Marchand (Le Figaro)
et Guillaume Perrier (Le Monde), presents a Istanbul depuis bientôt
une decennie.

À deux ans du centenaire du genocide, leurs recits, reportages et
rencontres dessinent le portrait d’un pays malade de son negationnisme,
hante par ce passe qui ne passe pas.

Une somme d’informations magistralement rassemblees, articulees et
analysees par les auteurs. Un ouvrage rare et precieux.

———————————–

2ème partie

Projection du film “Le Fils du marchand d’olives” realise par Mathieu
Zeitindjioglou (2012) – Duree : 1h17min.

” Ce que nous montre ce film est a la fois troublant et edifiant. Il
s’agit, sous la forme relativement curieuse d’un journal de voyage
tenu par deux jeunes gens en vacances, de la tentative de comprendre
le Genocide depuis l’endroit-meme où il s’est commis, soit dans le
seul Etat au monde [la Turquie] qui ne connaisse depuis un siècle
d’autre politique sur la question que celle du negationnisme. ”
(Le Monde.fr | 10.04.2012

Ventes-dedicaces Livres & DVD : Laure Marchand & Guillaume Perrier
Mathieu & Anna Zeitindjioglou

Prix des places, tarif unique : 5,40~@

Auditorium d’Issy-les-Moulineaux/Cine d’Issy Mail Raymond Menand (accès
pieton ) 11/13 rue Danton (accès voiture) 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux
Metro : Mairie d’Issy (ligne 12)

Retour a la rubrique

TELECHARGER : L’affiche de la soiree

From: Baghdasarian

A CUSTOMS’ EPISODE
Edgar Balayan

12:01 20/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Chairman of State Revenue Committee, Gagik Khachatryan, has recently
stated that he forbids no businessman to import stuff in Armenia,
and if someone meets any obstacle, can turn to him personally.

Companies engaged in the import of clothes and accessories have
serious problems related to the customs clearance.

The point is that in reality Gagik Khachatryan is maneuvering realizing
that no one will turn to him, as well as no one is directly prohibited
to import goods in Armenia. The customs clearance process is so
protracted so that the company rethinks about the expediency to import.

In particular, the customs clearance process for clothes takes 15-25
days accompanied by protractions and infinite trips from customs’
office to State Revenue Committee. The goods remain in the customs’
warehouse, the director of the importing company goes to SRC official
Karen Gasparyan to negotiate over the customs clearance fees. The
latter proposes to carry out the clearance at high prices or in accord
with the Article 87 of the Customs Code which sets a concrete fee
known to all businessmen.

The director wastes a couple of hours to meet with a certain
representative of SRC, whose name is Karen (all businessmen we
talked to mentioned him, who seems to have the surname Galstyan. He
is in charge with the customs clearance pricing. This is in case SRC
will refute the existence of such an official in their system). The
businessmen don’t manage to carry out the clearance in ten days and
so they pay huge money for the customs warehouse plus some fines for
late payments.

SRC Chairman is right to say that no one creates obstacles for
importers. But the import costs so much to some businessmen, that it
becomes senseless to import.

P.S. By the way, new practice is used in the Customs and Tax services.

The goods of some importers (the ones with no “roof”) are thoroughly
checked before the customs clearance. The checking is carried out
by the supervising staff of the Customs office, SRC investigative
department staff (even the head) as well as representatives from
the SRC Central Committee. They don’t know why they check everything
causing at the same time unnecessary financial costs for the importers
and psychological pressure.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN BOXERS WON SILVER AND BRONZE MEDALS IN CZECH INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

11:53, 20 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS : Armenian boxers participated in
International Tournament Type “A” hosted in Czech Republic, Ústí nad
Labem administrative unit and have gained one silver and two bronze
medals. As Ministry of Sport ant Youth Affairs told Armenpress, 17
countries were participating in the tournament, namely Russia, China,
Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Armenian team composed of 5 sportsmen. Armen
Simonyan, +91 weight category was awarded with silver medal, Narek
Abgaryan, 52 weight category, and Ara Puluzyan, 64 weight category,
became bronze medal winners.

From: Baghdasarian

LA TAXE BANCAIRE A CHYPRE : FIN DU MYTHE D’UNE EUROPE CIVILISEE (PRESSE)

La taxe sur les depôts bancaires prevue dans le plan de sauvetage de
Chypre negocie avec l’UE, qui touche durement les avoirs russes dans
l’île, casse l’image d'”une Europe civilisee” et devrait provoquer un
rapatriement des capitaux russes en Russie, estimait lundi la presse
a Moscou.

“La situation autour de Chypre montre que les declarations sur
l’economie europeenne plus developpee et civilisee que celle de Russie
ne sont qu’un mythe”, ecrit le quotidien pro-gouvernemental Izvestia.

L’annonce de la taxe “est un acte barbare de type sovietique”, estime
l’expert Pavel Medvedev, cite par le journal.

“Seuls les bolcheviks pratiquaient de telles choses pendant la
guerre ! Aucun autre pays au seuil d’une faillite n’a jamais agi de
la sorte”, s’indigne egalement le milliardaire Alexandre Lebedev,
cite par Izvestia.

“Meme si les Russes payent toutes ces taxes, ils ne travailleront
plus avec Chypre (…) et la fuite des capitaux va etre colossale”,
affirme M. Lebedev, actionnaire d’Aeroflot et proprietaire des journaux
britanniques Evening Standard et The Independent.

“La nationalisation chypriote va provoquer le rapatriement (en Russie)
des capitaux russes”, a resume Izvestia.

“Que doivent faire ceux qui ont place leurs avoirs a l’etranger ? Les
transferer en Russie, car la situation en Europe empire et les mesures
de l’UE deviennent de plus en plus draconiennes”, estime de son côte
le quotidien populaire Komsomolskaïa Pravda.

Pour le president de l’Association des banques de Russie Gareguine
Tossounian, cite par le quotidien, “cacher son argent a l’etranger
est la plus grande betise, car le rouble est l’une des devises les
plus stables depuis des decennies. Et les banques (russes) aussi”.

L’agence Moody’s a estime a 19 milliards de dollars (14,6 milliards
d’euros) au 1er septembre 2012 les seuls avoirs de societes russes
places a Chypre. S’y ajouteraient 12 milliards de dollars d’avoirs
de banques russes dans des etablissements chypriotes, selon la
meme source.

mercredi 20 mars 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

RECEPTION AT MFA MARKS THE START OF FRANCOPHONIE MONTH IN ARMENIA

18:38 19.03.2013

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a traditional reception
dedicated to the Francophonie Day, featuring Armenian Minister of
Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, MPs, heads of local self-government bodies,
Ambassadors of OIF (International Organization of the Francophonie)
member states accredited to Armenia, representatives of the field
of science.

“Today we celebrate Armenia’s membership in the international
organization of the Francophonie, which is a new platform for
cooperation with Francophone countries,” Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian said in his opening remarks.

“The start of the Francophone month in Armenia provides an opportunity
to join the 77 member and observer countries of the International
Organization of the Francophonie to celebrate the International
Francophonie Day on March 20 and organize a number of events all over
Armenia,” the Minister said.

The celebrations will start with a concert of famous French singer
Helene Segara at Aram Khchatryan Hall tonight. More than 350 events
will be organized in Yerevan and Armenian regions within the framework
of the Francophonie month.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT IS LIKELY TO SIGN MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION WITH EURASIAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION

YEREVAN, March 19. / ARKA /. The Armenian government is very likely
to sign a memorandum of cooperation with the board of the Eurasian
Economic Commission in April, Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan said
yesterday at a meeting with representatives of local media.

“The head of the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission is
likely to visit Armenia in the first or second week of April and the
Armenian government is likely to sign a memorandum of cooperation”,
Sargsyan said.

He also said that next week a delegation of the European Union will
visit Armenia to complete the negotiations over the remaining chapter
of the Association Agreement between EU and Armenia.

The Eurasian Economic Commission was set up by the decision of the
presidents of the Russian Federation, Belarus and Kazakhstan in late
2011 as a single permanent governing body of the Customs Union and
the Common Economic Space. It is a supranational body not subject
to any of the governments of the three countries. The Commission’s
decisions are binding in the three countries. Its main objective is
to ensure functioning and development of the Customs Union and the
Common Economic Space. -0-

From: Baghdasarian

LOCAL ANC PROFILE: ANC OF MICHIGAN
by Michelle Hagopian

March 19, 2013

This regular column will take a closer look at the Hai Tahd activities
taking place in local communities within the Eastern Region by our
volunteers. We had the opportunity last week to speak with Hovig
Kouyoumdjian and Lara Nercessian of the ANC of Michigan, and asked
them to shed some insights on the local community and Hai Tahd work
there. This community has been a steady contributor and asset to the
ANCA Eastern Region for many years.

ANC-MI, with the collaboration of the local April 24 committee,
is organizing the Armenian Genocide commemoration on April 27,
2013. We are hosting two prominent speakers-Baroness Caroline Cox
and Mourad Topalian.

MH: Who is involved with the ANC of Michigan team?

HK: The ANC-MI team is composed of six motivated members. The team has
two senior members, Narses Gedikian and GeorgiAnn Oshagan, and four
newly joined younger members, Hovig Kouyoumdjian, Lara Nercessian,
Toros Bardakjian, and Adi Asadoorian.

In addition to being members of ANC-MI, most committee members have
been involved in the ARF, the church, and in local organizations such
as ARS, AYF, and HMEM.

MH: What has the ANC of Michigan been up to lately?

HK: Lately we’ve been engaged in many ANCA Action Alerts by motivating
and encouraging our community to call local lawmakers and Congressmen
to advocate for Hai Tahd activities. We are also trying to reach out
to our community via e-mail and social media announcements and news.

Our Facebook page is attracting a lot of views and we strive to make
the page the voice of the Armenian community in Michigan, with its
all components.

ANC-MI, with the collaboration of the local April 24 committee, is
organizing the Armenian Genocide commemoration on April 27, 2013. We
are hosting two prominent speakers-Baroness Caroline Cox and Mourad
Topalian. Also, we are planning to initiate a series of meetings
with current and newly elected Michigan lawmakers to establish new
connections on the state and federal levels.

MH: What’s your background with the Armenian community? Tell me more
about yourself.

HK: I came to Michigan to pursue my Ph.D. at Michigan State University;
hence my involvement in the Armenian community of the greater
Detroit area is recent, since 2011. Before that I was a member of the
Zavarian Student Association in Beirut for 10 years, where I was on
the executive for two years. Currently, I am part of the ANC-MI team
and an advisor of the local Detroit AYF “Kopernik Tandourjian” chapter.

LN: I have been involved since the fall of 2012 and am an attorney
here in Michigan. Specifically, I am an assistant prosecuting attorney
for Wayne County. I’ve been involved in the Armenian community since
I was a member of the Richmond “Roupen” AYF chapter, where I was on
the executive. When I moved to Michigan, I joined the Detroit AYF and
was again on the executive, and was later a junior advisor. I was
also on the Steering Committee for the 2000 AYF Senior Olympics. I
interned with the Armenian Assembly in 1998 and have been a member
of our local ARS “Zabel” Chapter since 2008, where I was chairperson,
treasurer, and now secretary. I have been on the mid-council for ARS
in Michigan for two years and a representative to the United Nations
for the ARS for three years.

MH: What do you want to see the ANCA do more of locally?

HK: I think the ANCA should especially reach out to the youth, and
should do its best to systematically incorporate Hai Tahd advocacy
workshops and training sessions, as well as coordinate with the
local AYF and other Armenian youth organizations. With the help
of our experienced members, this coordination can lead to a more
effective presence and a louder voice in the local and regional
political landscape.

From: Baghdasarian