Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

`Let me carry your pain’

Ten years ago, while visiting Karabagh, I spent some time in Shushi and
asked the Karabagh Government if I could meet and interview the Armenian
refugees who had been re-housed in Shushi and its surrounding towns.

I am deeply grateful to the Karabagh Authorities who granted me my wish and
will never forget the people who had gathered in the square to talk to me
and tell me about their lives.

It was a cold November morning and it had rained the night before. The
refugees had come in their dozens, clean shaven, clad in their clean Sunday
bests, some carrying pictures of lost relatives, some carrying letters or
books and one middle-aged woman, carrying a pink rose which she offered
graciously to me.

I explained why I was there and why was it necessary that I would write
what they would tell me. At first they all started talking at the same
time, then, realizing the difficulty I had to follow them, they decided to
elect a spokesman. His name was Edward Lazari Hagopian. He was a man in his
early sixties, slim, muscular and bright with piercing blue eyes and gold
teeth which were glistening when the rays of the timid winter sun was
catching them.

Edward Lazari Hagopian

He said that he was happy to have this opportunity to tell his story,that
these refugees were from Baku, Kirovabad and Shushi, that over a quarter of
the population of this town were refugees, that now he lived not far from
here in a house where everyone was refugee. He said that life was extremely
difficult and there was no employment. He had lived for 30 years in Sumgait
and worked there. After the massacres by Azeri forces in Sumgait he went to
Baku, then after the killings in Baku he came to Karabagh. He said he had
seen terrible tragedies. He had two girls and his wife was a teacher in the
kindergarten. On 24th February she went to school and saw Azeri soldiers
and the teachers gathered. They told her to go home and not to come back.
He went to work at the factory and the Azeri soldiers told him to go home.
` I asked Edik my friend, he said the massacres have started. I am telling
you as it was. I couldn’t believe how can one kill me. My wife said that
a
mob of Azeris went to the kindergarten and killed the children. She said
that she could save one child by putting her under the floor boards.
On 28thFebruary morning I took my wife and girls to our Azeri
neighbour for
safety. They told me to get out because it was not safe. At night I went
out, it was dark, I had a torch and I saw Azeri soldiers in a military car
looking for Armenians. They were pulling out the Armenians from their homes
and taking them to the synthetic factory. I followed them. It was full of
people and plenty of drain pipes. Children were crying. I saw a woman in a
nightdress and a naked child on the floor, people trying to revive her. I
took my jacket off and covered her.I took my family and went to search for
my wife`s relatives in Baku.I came to a sailor and asked my way. We found
three corpses in the house and went upstairs and put an iron bar behind the
door to stop the Azeris entering. The iron bar was covered with blood. The
woman there said that the Azeris had just killed her husband, she herself
was covered with blood and died later. We buried her in the factory. I came
out of the factory to walk back to the house and saw a naked girl dancing
for a group of Azeri soldiers. Every so on they were burning her with their
cigarettes, I thought she was a Lezgui. But when she screamed : `akh Mama
jan, akh Asdvadz ` I realized that she was Armenian.One of the Azeri
soldiers said this is how we deal with Armenians. Some of the Azeris from
the factory came and asked me to go back and work for them, because they
did not know the techniques of the machinery. I said no. I managed to send
my family to Armenia. Then we ended up here and have been given this small
flat. It is 12 years `.

Assia Mardian from Baku

She said that one of her sons was in University and that it was his last
year. She herself worked in a swing factory. One day a bus full of Azeri
soldiers came and warned her and other Armenians to leave the factory. On
their second visit, she left. I hid in my Azeri neighbour’s house for two
weeks, they gave me bread. Then the Azeri mob stoned the windows of my
house. One night one Azeri agreed to help us travel by train to Armenia. I
paid him 20 roubles. My son was already in Karabagh. First we rented a
flat, then went to a hostel room. The family settled in one room. My son
went to war in Karabagh. He came back and married. In 1992 every day we
were bombed. The hostel was destroyed and we all became refugees and
homeless. My daughter in law became very ill : her nerves. She was operated
on four times. In 1994 my youngest son was killed in the war. In 1995 a
bomb fell and my daughter in law was killed, my other son became blind and
I lost my leg. We have no money, no job and live together in one room.

Arevik Khatchatrian from Sumgait

I have too many horrible stories. It was cold and we were all hungry. I
have stayed in shelters for one and half year as refugee. Then we started
building these new houses. And we started living like humans. We have built
it with our own hands, the men from Sumgait are professionals We cannot
compare our lives with those of the Azeri refugees. But in our family only
one person works and 6 people eat. Life is very difficult. We get from the
Karabagh Government 5000 drams ( equivalent in 2002 to five pounds sterling
) a month. Sometimes we have to search for food in rubbish bins. If our men
could find a job we would be happy. They could even go to town for work.
Everyone will work. We are not afraid of working. For 15 years we have
received no aid, nothing. What we need most of all is STATUS. We must get
refugee status, so that the we can be helped. We are true, real, refugees
but are not treated like refugees.

Davidian ( I could not make out the Christian name ) from Baku

We were living in Baku, when one night the Azeri soldiers together with a
large Azeri mob attacked our house and broke all the furniture and all the
windows. They killed my husband. I suffer from epilepsy and my son was
beaten and lost his eyesight. I have three children. We escaped to Maragha.
In Maragha we stayed in the house of people who had been killed. The
windows were all broken. It was very very cold. From Maragha we came to
Karabagh. We live in one room. My son cannot work. I cannot work. We are
given 5000 drams ( five pounds ) a month. It is very little. We are very
poor.

Ghookas Vitkhar Aramian ( from Baku )

My ancestors come from Iran but I was born in Baku. When the massacres
started in Baku, I was beaten up and they broke all my teeth. They killed
my wife and I lost one eye. I managed to escape to here. I live alone. I
have no job. I receive 5000 drams a month. I am very poor.

Irina Hagopian ( from Sumgait )

When the pogroms started in Baku and my husband was beaten up, he became an
invalid. We have four children. We managed to run to Karabagh. Here the
conditions are very difficult. At least we feel safe. But we are very poor.
We have no hope. We need work. We need a status. We need to be registered
as refugees, maybe someone will help

Raya Khatchatrian ( from Baku )

I left everything in Baku and run for my life. I have two children. No job.
No money It is important that we get status. I understand if nobody helps
Karabagh

Government, then Karabagh Government cannot help us. But we are very poor
and hungry. The money we are given is so little that I do not know what is
more important to buy. But I still keep our room and my children clean. I
understand that they are hundreds of thousands like me. The Karabagh
Government gives what they can but maybe you could ask the World Government
to help Karabagh to help us. Thank you.

Nouneh Ghaboulian ( from Shahumian )

The Azeris came with their tanks full of soldiers. They killed everyone. I
walked for 20 days. I left everything behind. At the end I could not even
carry myself. I reached Karabagh and was homeless for six months. Now I
have this room and 5.000 drams a month. But what we need is work. Is
status. If the world would recognize the Government of Karabagh, then we
would have a status as citizens of a free country. Like this we are
nothing. We are not refugees. We are nothing.

( she was crying and could not continue ).

Maria Mikhailovna ( from Baku )

I fled with my brother when they started killing our people. My brother
moved to Russia. He is a refugee there. I am a refugee here in Shushi. I am
alone. My beautiful house was destroyed and all my things were taken by the
Azeris. It is very difficult for me to live on handout from the Government.
( She was clasping and crossing her fingers in shame and desperation : her
fingers were long, slim and elegant. The hands of an aristocrat and of a
woman who had not been used to domestic chores ). She swallowed her tears
and said : I have no hope.

Leonora Aroustamian ( from Shushi )

After the pogroms my husband died and I escaped to Yerevan, then in 1999 I
came back to Shushi. I am a medical nurse. I earn 12.000 drams. But it is
very difficult. The neighbours at this refugee center are looking after my
daughter. But it is very difficult for us.

Lena Zadourian ( from Baku )

The Azeris came and killed my husband and my son. They raped my
daughter-in-law for three days and she is half-crazy now. I look after her
and my grand-daughter who is 14. I am 67 years old. We have no money. We
live in one room. My grand-daughter has a beautiful voice, a voice of
velvet and I wish that one day she could become a great singer like my
mother was.

Rima Abadjian ( from Shushi )

When the Azeris came, they killed my husband. I fled and left everything
behind. I arrived in Stepanakert. After five years, I returned to Shushi,
to my house. It was burnt down. I have 4 children. My son is dead. I
receive 6.000 drams. But it is impossible to feed my family. We are very
poor.

Movsess Tevossian ( from Sumgait )

After the massacres in Sumgait I went to Giumri, then the earthquake
happened and I was homeless again. Then I came to Shushi and I am in this
refugee center now. I remember that in our village only, in Sumgait, there
were 18.000 Armenians. Now they say that there are only 35 Armenians left.
Where are the rest of them ? How many have the Azeris killed?

During all this time, the refugees, men, women and children were behaving
with great dignity and refrained from crying. It was poignant. It was the
saddest day of my life. Faced with such heroism I was deeply humbled but
unfortunately, to my own shame, I could not hold back my own tears. Tears
of sorrow, of sadness, of compassion and solidarity with these people’s
sufferings were running down my cheeks, like the drops of the rain which
was still hanging from the leaves of the surrounding trees, that morning in
Shushi, in that cold November day, when I joined my compatriots in their
unbearable journey of reminiscence of their Golgotha and their sufferings.

The man called Edward Lazari Hagopian approached me with compassion and
handed me a book: a book of poems and he said ` tsaved danem me latzir’
(`let me carry your pain don’t cry, don’t cry.’

Tsaved danem.

Where, in which country in this world, in which culture will you see people
who have suffered so much, who have lost so much, who, themselves, carry
such heavy burden of pain and heart-breakingly sad memories, who live with
so little income and in such sordid situations will ever ask you to `let
them carry your pain’ ?

What kind of people are we Armenians to feel and demonstrate such altruism
and love for mankind, when faith and destiny have been so cruel to us, as
if our own pain: the massacres, the invasions, the pogroms,the killings,the
rapes and the genocides we have suffered are not enough for us to carry in
our minds, in our hearts and on our shoulders that we can still take on and
carry someone else’s pain to lessen their sufferings and make life better
for them?

I wish that this expression `tsaved danem’ was also popular in Turkey and
adopted in their everyday conversation where they could ask us Armenians
`let me carry your pain’! Then they would understand and realize how heavy
that pain is to carry, how deeply it is felt and how destructive and sad it
is for us Armenians, that our pain is not being shared, nor recognized and
nor condemned by the ones whose ancestors have caused it.

Odette Bazil
10:16:37 – 05/07/2012

From: Baghdasarian

In all likelihood, France will not introduce new bill on criminalizing
Armenian Genocide’s denial

NEWS.AM
July 06, 2012 | 11:14

PARIS. – France will not have a new law criminalizing the denial of
the Armenian Genocide. French FM Laurent Fabius made this understood
during Thursday’s news conference held after his meeting with Turkey’s
FM Ahmet Davutoglu, Nouvelles d’Arménie informs.

`It is impossible to remain on the same road. Otherwise, the result is
apparent; it will be the same,’ stated Fabius.

To note, however, on April 24, 2012, that is, on the Commemoration Day
of the Armenian Genocide, French President François Hollande had
affirmed, before the media, his readiness to examine a new text for
such law.

Regrettably, the French of Armenian origin often become victims of
political farce.

From: Baghdasarian

THE COUNTRY’S PROSPERITY IS PROVIDED BY EVERYONE’S PARTICIPATION

Wednesday, 04 July 2012 05:36

On June 30, within his pre-election campaign, presidential candidate
and current President of the NKR Bako Sahakian met with the voters in
Martakert region’s north-western sector, the start-point being the
Kichan-Nor Ghazanchi communities, where the presidential candidate was
greeted with the traditional bread-and-salt.

As almost everywhere, here also President Sahakian and his teammates
put fresh flowers on the monument erected in memory of the Artsakh War
victims.

Referring to his five-year officiating activities, Bako Sahakian noted
that for the mentioned period, he had tried to fulfill his
responsibilities as the head of state with daily and consistent works:
as the main guarantor of the country’s and population’s security, to
strengthen the Republic’s border zone, to keep in the focus of
attention the increase of the Army’s defense capability, to promote
the rural and agricultural development, the successful reform process
in the educational and other spheres, to contribute to the rise of the
people’s living standards, the improvement of the housing-, living-,
and other conditions of the families of deceased soldiers, those
disabled, and the most socially vulnerable sections of the population.
Glancing back and re-estimating the previous activities, the
presidential candidate considers that, however, there were some
omissions and half-fulfilled programs, for the adjustment of which and
for the continuation of the incomplete programs the President
nominated his candidacy for the second period.

Among other priority areas, agriculture occupied an important place in
both the previous and current pre-election programs,

Especially in the recent years, over 400 units of equipment, including
a few dozens of harvesting combines, were purchased and imported via
the state budget funds, which eased the farmers’ heavy burden. But,
part of the agricultural equipment is of foreign production supplied
with computer technology, and a considerable part of the machine
operators cannot handle it. For filling the gap, the Rural and
Agricultural Support Fund organizes periodically professional courses
and consultations. But, it is not enough. Taking into consideration
the foreseeable future, we should have highly qualified machine
operators.

A crediting strategy is carried out in the country, which is enjoyed
by many citizens for purchasing and renovating their apartments, the
mortgage credit program seems to be effective. However, the citizens’
complaints in the noted directions are considerable. According to the
presidential candidate, it was not everything that was properly
calculated. Bako Sahakian informed the community representatives that
the Government had already been instructed to review the conditions of
the mortgage loans, first of all, the term (to make 25 years as the
repayment term) and the percentage.

The participants of the meeting with Bako Sahakian (first of all,
community leaders, school directors, and other officials) raised the
most vital issues. So, in Kichan village it is the roads’ improvement,
in Nor Ghazanchi – the houses’ roofs, in Nor Seysulan – the
availability of underground water in about a dozen of houses, due to
the open Nor Seysulan-Nor Aygestan irrigation waterline (this
community has no kindergarten, club, celebrations’ center, medical
station), in Haykajur – the need in a new school, in Nor Aygestan and
Drmbon – the issue of drinking water.

The Drmbon copper-gold concentrating enterprise dominates over its
neighborhood by its huge production buildings and auxiliary
structures. The largest taxpayer in the Republic – Base Metals Company
– comprises currently about 1,200 workers, mostly the local
inhabitants. The high salary and low prices for food products eased
the problems of almost the same number of families from the
surrounding villages. And if the mine in Kashen is put into operation
(currently, up to 120 people work there) the number of workers,
according to the Company’s Executive Director Arthur Mkrtumian, will
increase to 1700.

The Base Metals, in addition to its daily care of the workers and full
implementation of its obligations, almost every year carries out
humanitarian programs in Drmbon and other nearby villages. Taking
advantage of the meeting with the President, the inhabitants of the
village of Kojoghot raised the issue of renovating a building in the
village, which is suitable for a kindergarten, and asked the company’s
assistance.

The response was quick – the building will be ready in three months to
receive the children. Moreover, the company’s leadership promised to
provide the kindergarten with corresponding furniture.

At the meetings, there were a great number of voters’ speeches, in
which they wished the presidential candidate success and victory,
believing that when elected, Bako Sahakian would achieve the highest
bar of progress.

The Drmbon community called upon the people to give their vote of
confidence to Bako Sahakian.

The Artsakh State University’s honored lecturers, spouses Lavrent
Ghalayan and Arzik Mkhitarian expressed their confidence that in the
second period, Bako Sahakian would use all his abilities and
experience to ensure deserving vital activity for the Artsakh people.

Nikolay BAGHDASARIAN

From: Baghdasarian

The Rural Administration Head of Sos Resigned

Wednesday, 04 July 2012 14:12

As we previously informed a number of inhabitants of Sos village,
Martouni region, sent a letter of complaint to the NKR President in
which they complained of their village community head who according to
the local inhabitants exerted pressure on some of the villagers and
beat some of them.

There were criminal proceedings instituted over the event in the
regional Prosecutor’s Office of Martouni according to Article 118 of
the Criminal Code.

As Karabakh-open.info was informed at the General Prosecutor’s Office
recently the case had been quashed with conciliation on the basis of
sincere repentance.

According to the information we possess the rural administration head
of Sos resigned.

Karabakh-open.info

From: Baghdasarian

The CEC Received Only One Letter Concerning the Breaches of the Election Law

Wednesday, 04 July 2012 14:09

The head of presidential candidate Vitali Balasanyan’s pre-election
headquarters was the only one to apply to the NKR Central Electoral
Commission with a letter running about the breaches of the election
law recorded during the electoral campaign.

As CEC Chairman Rashid Petrosyan reported on July 2, the breach
indicated by the head of the headquarters referred mainly to the
absence of any data concerning the printing house and the edition of
presidential candidate Bako Sahakyan’s campaign materials. “The
indicated faults have already been eliminated,” the CEC Chairman
informed and assured that the answer to the letter would be sent in
the nearest future.

It should be mentioned though that Vitali Balasanyans’s pre-election
headquarters pointed to one more breach of law as well connected with
the Artsakh Public Television news programme broadcast.

Karabakh-open.info

From: Baghdasarian

Journal of Turkish Weekly
July 4 2012

EU Warns Armenia, Azerbaijan against Fighting

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

EU president Herman Van Rompuy on Wednesday urged enemies Armenia and
Azerbaijan to end frontline clashes that have raised fears of renewed
war over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh.

“The European Union calls on both sides strictly to respect the
ceasefire and exercise restraint, on the ground and in public
statements, in order to prevent a further escalation of the
situation,” Van Rompuy said in an address to the Armenian parliament.

Ten soldiers were killed last month in clashes along the Karabakh
frontline and on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan — the
worst outbreak of violence for several years.

Armenia-backed separatists seized Karabakh from Azerbaijan in a war in
the 1990s that left some 30,000 dead, and no final peace deal has been
signed since the 1994 ceasefire.

Van Rompuy said that a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict
was “the key to unlocking the region’s enormous development potential
and the prosperity that it can bring”.

He urged politicians to resist “the temptations of populist rhetoric
and entrenchment” — an apparent reference to frequent belligerent
statements from both sides.

Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the disputed region by force if
negotiations do not yield results, while Armenia has vowed massive
retaliation against any military action.

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

From: Baghdasarian

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 5 2012

Tehran worries Moscow and Yerevan

Video conference Moscow – Yerevan “New Middle East realities.
Challenges for Moscow and Yerevan”

According to Vladimir Sazhin, a senior researcher of the Institute of
Oriental Studies, “Now, speaking quite frankly, Iran cannot make some
serious compromises in its position concerning the nuclear issue,
because there is a serious struggle within the Iranian elite..
Therefore, I think this struggle will continue till the elections, and
only after the presidential elections in Iran may some stabilization
occur (I am not talking about a complete stabilization). It will let
the new authorities of the country, I mean, the executive ones, make
more definite steps towards the Group of Six.

This point is very important. Especially, you know that since the
formal entry of the embargo into force on July 1, 2012, the Iranians
have taken some very serious steps. Quite powerful air-missile
exercises began on July 2; these exercises were codenamed “Great
Prophet 7.” They will last three days, that is, till tomorrow. As far
as we know from the media, all of the Iranian missile systems will be
engaged in these exercises. The most interesting fact is that the
Iranians have supposedly prepared the layouts of the U.S. military
bases in their territory; the missiles will actually be launched
there. It is a measure of force.

Moreover, as far as I know, the Iranian Majlis or, more precisely, the
Committee on Security and International Affairs, has prepared a bill
on closing the Hormuz Strait, if the situation with the oil embargo
announced by the EU threatens the interests of Iran. The United States
and Britain announced that this would mean a declaration of war almost
at the same time.”

Answering the question as to whether the internal situation in Iran
could provoke an increase of internal discontent in the country,
Vladimir Sazhin said yes: “Although the sanctions formally took effect
on July 1 but … Why did they need July 1, although the EU agreed on
this on January 23? The reason is that many European companies have
contracts with Iran, and the last contract ended just on July 1, and
none of these Western companies has signed new contracts with Iran.
Therefore, there was such a date. Of course, by my count, Iran could
lose about $20 billion per year due to the fact that the oil from Iran
will not be supplied. If we add to this a very large reduction in the
purchases of crude oil by the main consumers of Iranian oil in
Southeast Asia (I am referring to South Korea, China, Japan, etc.),
this figure will increase even more. Of course, it is not a disaster
for the Iranian economy, which is generally a developed one, but it’s
a big failure. I have repeatedly said a dollar was worth 11,000
Iranian reals in November, and in April it was worth 22,000, that is,
the fall was twofold. Inflation, according to the official data, is
currently about 22%, although, according to unofficial estimates, even
Iranian economists say that it is up to 40%, and Western sources say
it is even up to 60%. Prices are dramatically rising. Bread prices,
for example, rose by 70% in a few weeks. This situation, of course,
causes discontent in the country, not only among its population, but
even among the ruling elites.

Since last December, when the talk about the oil embargo started, the
deputies of the Majlis accused President Ahmadinejad of bringing the
country to this situation; this was even before the oil embargo. So,
of course, the reforms of Ahmadinejad that began some time ago, these
economic reforms have created a negative situation. Although they were
generally positive for the future of Iran, but it was also a great
shock to the very foundations of the Iranian economy, which have
existed for many years. But these sanctions (we know that there are
sanctions of the UN Security Council which are four resolutions, there
are also sanctions of the United States, and there are the EU
sanctions; I’m talking about the latest sanctions, I mean the banking
ones), the prohibition of the insurance of tankers carrying Iranian
oil, and the oil embargo – all of this was quite shocking for the
Iranian economy. ”

According to Alexander Iskandaryan, the director of the Caucasus
Institute, “the situation around Iran has not been very safe for Iran
for a long time. From Afghanistan through Pakistan to Gulf countries
and the Saudis, with whom they have never been successful partners,
and so on – Iran has already got used to existing amongst these
countries, and it has certain mechanisms of both foreign policy and
economy (we are talking about a very particular type of economy close
to autarchy) which Iran uses in order to learn somehow how to exist in
this mode.

The situation with the threat of a serious strike against Iran is not
unambiguous. It seems to me that, at least in a short run, that is,
before the election and the change of president of the United States,
and probably before the elections in Iran, it seems very unlikely that
Iran will be attacked. If it is just a missile attack, the United
States will not manage to solve any serious problems by it. And the
problems that may arise, I think, are too serious for such a decision
by the Americans. I mean Americans, not Israelis, it’s still not the
same thing. It is extremely difficult for me to imagine the apocalypse
of a land invasion of Iran. It is also quite difficult to imagine that
the situation around Iran will aggravate before a resolution of the
Syrian issue”.

Answering the question of the reaction of people in Armenia to the
events in the neighboring countries, Alexander Iskandaryan said that
“they are very worried about it. It is not very typical for our
country. Iran supplies about 30% of our exports, including transit
trade. In fact, Iran is informally one of the guarantors of the
situation in the South Caucasus. Iran is one of our two neighbors with
which the border is open. And Iran is a country with which Armenia has
excellent economic relations, taking into account the specifics of the
Iranian model with their closed market, and very good political
relations. ”

From: Baghdasarian

ENPI Info Centre
July 4 2012

Van Rompuy notes progess in EU-Armenia relations
04-07-2012

The EU and Armenia are experiencing overall progress in their
relationship, the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy
said after his meeting in Yerevan with Armenia’s President Serzh
Sargsyan today.

In particular, Van Rompuy cited headway in the negotiations on the
Association Agreement, the launch of negotiations on a Deep and
Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, as well as negotiations on Visa
Facilitation and Readmission Agreements.

He said Armenia should make maximum use of the opportunities provided
by the Eastern Partnership, adding `we are on track in reaching the
goals set out in the Roadmap in time for the next Eastern Partnership
summit in Vilnius 2013.’
President Van Rompuy hailed Armenia’s `strategic choice’ in committing
itself to reforms based on the EU’s core values, and efforts in moving
towards the standards and norms of the EU.

The stronger the commitment to pursue genuine reform and to uphold
universal values, the more Armenia can count on the EU, in accordance
with the “more for more” principle, said Van Rompuy. He announced the
EU’s decision to top up its annual support to the country by 15
million for 2012 under the Eastern Partnership Integration and
Cooperation Programme (EaPIC), in a 25 % increase of the EU’s
financial assistance to Armenia, adding `the funds would be used to
scale up our support to a number for core reforms in support for
Armenia’s progress towards association.’

Van Rompuy said the EU welcomed Armenia’s efforts to deliver more
competitive and transparent parliamentary elections, describing it as
an important step forward. On this basis, he said, the European
Commission will now be in a position to start preparations of a donor
conference with Armenia and international financial institutions.

President Van Rompuy also touched upon the need to advance towards the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calling it a top
priority. `Every day that goes by without a solution is an opportunity
missed for all of us. In order to find a solution we need to build
confidence, trust and respect,’ said the European Council President.

Van Rompuy further elaborated on the “more for more” principle in his
address to Armenia’s National Assembly today, stressing that it had
been one of the main features of the EU’s renewed Neighbourhood Policy
launched last year and that Armenia had `a lot to gain’ from it.

The role of Armenia’s civil society was the main topic of Van Rompuy’s
address to the Civil Society Forum `Armenia in Europe.’ He said
relations between Armenia and the EU depend to a great extent on
civil society to map progress on such agendas as n human rights, press
freedom, higher education etc. (EU Neighbourhood Info)

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian military doctor dies after ‘being raped with bottle’ – PHOTO 05

July 2012 [15:54] – TODAY.AZ
The details of the death of military doctor Vahe Avetyan, who died after
being brutally beaten at the Harsnakar restaurant in Yerevan, revealed.

According to the Armenian media reports on June 17, Vahe Avetyan was
mercilessly beaten by security guards of the Harsnakar restaurant, owned by
President of the Football Federation of Armenia, MP of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (RAP) Ruben Hairapetyan.

However, it was possible to find out that the initial information was
different and was later corrected. `The military doctor from
Nagorno-Karabakh Vahe Avetyan was beaten and raped by two guards first, and
then with a bottle of Armenian cognac. This was reported by the Central
Military Hospital.”

The information was posted on a news site Armtoday. But after, it was
carefully edited, apparently to hide the facts of rape in the Armenian
army.

This can be proved with a screenshot of the Google search service, which
has preserved the primary cache, namely unedited version of the news.
Moreover, searching with the keywords “Vahe Avetyan raped” [in Russian],
Google search engines will once again show you the information in the
original form.

From: Baghdasarian

Harmful Moths Have Attacked the Ararat Plain and Are Eating the Whole Harvest

July 4, 2012 14:48

The whole harvest of the Ararat valley is under threat – moths are
eating the whole harvest of tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes and peppers
and villagers don’t even hope that at least 10 percent of the harvest
will be gathered, since the Cabinet doesn’t take action to fight
moths. Today Varuzhan Khodedanyan, the deputy leader of the community
of Darakert, said at the Hayeli club.

In response to a question of what means there were to
fight moths and what the Ministry of Agriculture had to do, Mr.
Khodedanyan said that this was the first time in the history of the
Armenian agriculture and farmers tried to fight moths as much as they
could these days, however they bred so fast that farmers could not be
successful, `Therefore, one needs an organized fight. The farmer can
destroy moths in his greenhouse, but we cannot fight them in the
fields. The ministry has told us to use some drugs or not to leave the
harvest in the field, to move it quickly. Even if we do it, there is
no use. They lay eggs in the ground.’

During a conversation with is, Mr. Khodedyan said that farmers could
buy chemicals from the market and finish moths off using them, but
then the harvest would be dangerous for human health, if a farmer
unknowingly sold the poisonous harvest on the market. However, even
this separate fight will not completely eliminate moths. According to
Varuzhan Khodedyan, this kind of harmful moths are frost-proof, they
eat stems, harvest and leaves and will spread very quickly also in the
foothills and even forests.

As for where the `harvest-eating’ moths have come from, no one knows
exactly. In the farmer’s words, `Perhaps, they are from the imported
seeds, we cannot say exactly. I don’t know whether they check seeds on
the border or not. If they had been checked on the border, they would
have disinfected them. In any case, it is not clear where they have
come from, but for example, inTurkeythere has been such a problem for
10 years already.’ The farmer assures that the European experts
advised to fight moths using carnivorous parasites, which should be
imported toArmenia. They eat harmful insects, but they are very
expensive both to import and to look after, `Chemicals shouldn’t be
used at all. If nothing is done, we will have nothing to calculate in
the fall, the chickens are counted before they are hatched, right? And
our chicken are loans, they are dollars of the Agba bank. All farmers
have taken loans to be engaged in agriculture, to reap a harvest and
to pay off the loans. However, 100% of the harvest is under threat at
the moment and the Cabinet doesn’t do anything. We used to harvest 35
tons of harvest from a 3000m² greenhouse, whereas we reaped a 5-6-ton
harvest last year because of those moths, we burned the rest. We
didn’t know what kind of a problem it was; we thought they were just
butterflies, but the moment we would plant a seedling, they would eat
it in the very ground.’

Armen Simonyan, a resident of the same community, complained during a
conversation with that the Ministry of Agriculture
didn’t support villages even concerning the simplest issues, `The
ministry should at least send agricultural experts to the communities
who will give professional advice what should be done when, what
should be injected or concerning this very issue of moths, no farmer
understood what butterflies attacked the harvest. If an expert was
around, perhaps something could be done. If the Cabinet doesn’t do
anything within the next 2-3 days, farmers should give up on their
harvest.’

Nelly BABAYAN

From: Baghdasarian