Author: Kajoyan Gevork

CORNELL CONCERT TO COMMEMORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Ithaca Journal
March 31 2015

Crossing Borders LIVE and the Cornell Armenian Student Organization
will present a concert to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide in 1915, when more than 1.5 million Armenians in the
Middle East died. The concert, part of a monthlong series of events,
takes place in Cornell University’s Barnes Hall at 7:30 p.m. April
8 and is free to the public.

Featured artists will be songwriter-pianist Louise Nalbandian, of San
Francisco, and keyboardist-composer Michael Stark, of Ithaca. Also
participating will Anna Srapionyan and Gnel Gabrielyan, Mane Mehrabyan,
all of Yerevan, Armenia; Martiros Skakhzadyan, Denice Karamardian
and Owen Miller. The evening will include introductions to Armenian
traditional music, language and poetry, summaries of genocide and
denial, personal presentations and the contemporary musical styles
of the featured artists.

Through her involvement with Armenian folk singer Hasmik Harutyunyan,
Nalbandian has researched and performed the music of Komitas and other
Armenian repertoire in the U.S., as well as in Yerevan, Armenia, where
she recently completed a 2014 tour. Performing in various bands over
the years, she brings her background of classical music to the fore,
but has honed her interest in contemporary pop/rock/blues styles as
well, bringing these elements to her songwriting.

Composer/pianist/organist Michael Stark moved to Ithaca in 1995 from
New York City, where he has evolved into a revered and internationally
acclaimed musician. He has backed and recorded with celebrated artists
including Hank Roberts, Johnny Dowd, Mary Lorson, Kevin Kinsella,
Jennie Stearns and Bronwen Exeter, among many more. His own projects
include Wingnut, Tzar, Orbiting Art Ensemble and a regular house
musical host at the Argos Inn. For this setting, he explores his
Armenian heritage.

Preceding the concert is a lecture presentation titled “Denial of
Violence,” by Fatma Muge Gocek, that will take place at 5 p.m. April
7 in 110 White Hall at Cornell.

A table exhibition of materials on the subject of the genocide and
Armenian culture will be presented at the Tompkins County Public
Library the week of April 20, and at Mann Library from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. April 24, which is the official anniversary date of the genocide,
acknowledged in most countries except the United States and Israel.

AZERBAIJANI SNIPER KILLS ARMENIAN SOLDIER NEAR DISPUTED REGION: REBELS

Agence France Presse
March 30, 2015 Monday 11:11 AM GMT

Yerevan, March 30 2015

An Azerbaijani sniper shot dead an Armenian soldier, the latest
casualty in violence along the breakaway Nagorny Karabakh region’s
volatile frontline, rebel officials said Monday.

“A Karabakh army serviceman was mortally wounded on Sunday evening
by an Azerbaijani sharpshooter,” the separatist defence ministry said
in a statement.

The death comes after several months of unprecedented violence along
the line dividing the warring sides and takes the number of people
reported killed on both sides this year to 23.

Yerevan and Baku have been locked in a dispute over Azerbaijan’s
Nagorny Karabakh region since a bloody war in the early 1990.

Threatening a shaky 1994 truce, clashes between Azerbaijani and
Armenian forces across the arch-foes’ border and along the Karabakh
frontline intensified last year.

Yerevan-backed ethnic Armenian separatists seized control of Karabakh
and another seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan during the conflict
that left some 30,000 dead.

Despite years of negotiations, the two sides have not signed a
final peace deal, and Armenian-populated Karabakh is internationally
recognised as part of Azerbaijan.

Karabakh’s ethnic-Azeri community — around a quarter of the population
before the war — was entirely driven out.

Baku, whose military spending exceeds Armenia’s entire state budget,
has threatened to take back the territories by force if negotiations
fail to yield results.

Armenia, backed militarily by Russia, says it could crush any
offensive.

EUROVISION 2015 CONTESTANTS: ARMENIA

WorldCrunch
March 31 2015

For the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, Armenia will be represented by
Genealogy, a supergroup of singers from five different continents and
all from Armenian descent. Genealogy includes Ethopian Vahe Tilbian,
American Tamar Kaprelian, Japanese Stephanie Topalian, French Essaï
Altounian, Australian Mary-Jean O’Doherty Basmadjian and Armenian
Inga Arshakyan.

They will perform “Face the shadow,” a song about not losing hope in
times of darkness — which, according to Genealogy’s video, involves
touching white woody walls, embroidering a bird, and taking a family
photo.

We added extra points for that rather amazing solo at 2:18.

Our vote:

Does it make you want to visit that country? 2/10

Was there enough glitter? 1.75/10

Ok to quit your day job? 3.75/10

OVERALL AVERAGE: 2.5/10

AUSTRALIA DECIDES NOT TO ATTEND 1915 COMMEMORATIONS IN YEREVAN

Daily Sabah, Turkey
March 31 2015

DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL

The Australian government has said it will not be officially
represented in Armenia next month as the country marks the 100th
anniversary the so-called Armenian genocide, a move that was
interpreted as support to Turkey’s call to argue the 1915 incidents
based on experts analyzing history archives.

Events in Yerevan will coincide with the centenary of the Anzac
landing in Gallipoli, to which Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
is expected to lead a high-level delegation, the Australian SBS
reported. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told
SBS the Australian government will not be sending a representative
to Yerevan next month for the commemorations.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg also recently announced that
she will not be attending the commemorations in Yerevan, highlighting
that Norway puts value on relations with Turkey.

Solber said that Norwegian executives, including herself and members
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will not be represented at the
commemoration ceremonies and only the ambassador will be able to
participate. According to a statement by the Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, “The genocide allegations, which were supposedly
committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915, are internationally disputed,”
and that the ministry would state their opinion on the matter later on.

Baard Glad Pedersen, the undersecretary of the Norwegian Prime
Minister’s Office, said that conclusions regarding historical
incidents should be left for the discretion of historians and that
U.N. resolutions outline what can be considered genocide or not. “This
issue has been hotly debated in the recent years” Pedersen said.

Mertefe Bertinlioglu, a deputy from the Norwegian Conservative Party
in Oslo’s Provincial Legislature, said that Solberg’s decision must be
respected, adding that Turkey has called for the opening of archives
numerous times to enable historians to study and analyze the issue,
but that Armenia had never accepted this. “I also agree that this issue
should only be handled by historians and should not be exploited for
political interests,” Bertinlioglu said.

The 1915 events took place during World War I when a group of Armenian
subjects of the Ottoman Empire supported a Russian invasion and
revolted against the empire, resulting in their forced relocation
to eastern Anatolia. Turkey refuses to use the term “genocide” to
refer to the incident, as many Turks also lost their lives due to
attacks carried out by Armenians in Anatolia. Meanwhile, Armenia and
the Armenian diaspora continue to campaign for the incidents to be
recognized as genocide.

In 2014, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a letter expressing
condolences for the 1915 events in an unprecedented move. Turkish
officials consistently urge for the establishment of a joint historical
commission to investigate the events and call on Armenia to open
their archives as Turkey has done.

FORMER HEAD OF CENTRAL BANK: ARMENIA MAY FAIL TO REPAY ITS FOREIGN LIABILITIES

30.03.2015 18:32

YEREVAN, March 30. /ARKA/. Armenia, with its present government
reserves, may fail to repay its foreign liabilities, Bagrat Asatryan,
former head of the central bank says in his ‘Armenia in Anticipation
of New Crunch’ analysis published in Chorrrord Ishkhanutyun Newspaper.

MORE THAN 200 GERMAN ACTORS WILL READ FRANZ WERFEL’S “40 DAYS OF MUSA DAGH” IN NUREMBERG

21:09, 31 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

More than 200 German actors will read Franz Werfel’s “40 Days of Musa
Dagh” at the Nuremberg State Theatre, German film director Christian
Papke told reporters in Yerevan.

“We have planned to organize a 40-hour ongoing reading of that novel
by 200 actors. It is good that the world is awakening again,” he said.

“Events commemorating the Armenian Genocide victims will be held
across Germany this year,” the director said.

He added that a concert by a renowned Armenian opera singer will
conclude the commemorations.

The German director said he doesn’t think that the society is now
aware of the tragedy, adding that proper work needs to be done to
fill that information gap.

“An informed society and its position are the most important, because
in democratic societies it is the public dictating its opinion to the
political elite,” Christian Papke said as he presented his country’s
position on the Armenian Genocide.

Papke is the author of an Armenian Genocide film shot within the
framework of the “Talking about Borders” project. The documentary
“Armenia: Long Road of Shadows” will premiere in Germany on April 22,
and will be screened in Austria on April 23.

WORLD BANK APPROVES US$52 MILLION LOAN TO STRENGTHEN POWER SUPPLY RELIABILITY IN ARMENIA

12:42, 31 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors on March 30 approved a
US$52 million loan for the Electricity Transmission Network Improvement
Project (ETNIP) for Armenia.

The new project will improve the reliability of the power transmission
network and system management, and support the Government’s efforts
in ensuring adequate electricity supply across the country, according
to the World Bank.

Armenia’s National Energy Security Concept prioritizes rehabilitation
of key power transmission network assets as a prerequisite for reliable
power supply in the country. This project through its first component
– strengthening of the power transmission network – targets two major
facilities which have the highest rehabilitation priority.

Rehabilitation of the Ashnak substation through replacement of all
key equipment will help reduce the number and duration of equipment
failures caused by technical reasons, and, thus, improve the
reliability of power supply for almost 120,000 electricity consumers.

The Ashnak substation was commissioned in 1983 and has undergone
no major rehabilitation since then. This substation is essential
for ensuring reliable power supply to consumers in Eastern and
North-Eastern parts of Armenia, including a large dairy products
company, an asphalt plant, and a diamond polishing and jewelry
production factory, which employ around 3,500 people.

Rehabilitation of the substation of the Yerevan Thermal Power Center
(YTPC) which accounts for 20 percent of total annual electricity
generation in Armenia will help reduce the incidence of equipment
failures. The overall cost of meeting the electricity demand in the
country will significantly increase if it is disconnected from the
grid due to failure of its substation. The substation was commissioned
in 1965, and has not been rehabilitated since then. Therefore, it is
essential for ensuring adequate and low-cost electricity supply to
all of the 1,040,000 electricity consumers in the country.

“Currently the power sector of Armenia faces a number of challenges,
including supply adequacy and reliability. The project focused
on rehabilitation of the selected substations will improve power
system reliability, and bring direct benefits to all power consumers
in Armenia,” said Laura E. Bailey, World Bank Country Manager for
Armenia. “This will allow avoiding increased incidence of power supply
outages, as well as associated significant social and economic costs.”

Under the second component – improvement of the power system management
– establishment of a back-up dispatch center is envisaged which will
allow improving the management of the power system.

Specifically, it is important for ensuring continuous management
and control of the power system in case the primary dispatch center
(located in down-town Yerevan) fails due to technical or other
reasons. The back-up dispatch center will allow to immediately restore
the control and management of the power system in case of such failure.

“Armenia’s power system will need around 500 MW of new gas-fired
generation capacity to preclude the emergence of a supply capacity
gap by 2020,” said Arthur Kochnakyan, World Bank Task Team Leader of
the Project. “Preparation of a new electricity generation project
is another critical activity that will be implemented within this
project. The Government plans to construct a new combined cycle gas
turbine, which will require a number of preparatory activities for
which no financing is available.”

Total financing of the project is US$69.16 million, of which US$17.16
million will be the Government’s contribution. The World Bank will
provide a US$52 million IBRD loan of variable spread with a 14.5-year
grace period and the total repayment term of 25 years.

Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, the commitments
to Armenia total approximately US$2,118.730 million.

S.O.S. AYRUM CAMPAIGN GETTING NEW STRENGTH

15:58 March 30, 2015

EcoLur

“Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine” CJSC intends to construct a new tailing
dump in the area of Tchotchkan and Mets Ayrum communities in Lori
Region using 40 ha of agricultural land areas in the communities. It
will be the second tailing dump for these communities, which will be
closer to the transboundary Debed River and Armenia-Georgia interstate
road. “To what extent it’s admissible to construct a tailing dump
in such active seismic zone in the viewpoint of national security,
which can flow at any time and block the Debed riverbed in the gorge
of the Debed River, the railwat and the road running to Georgia,”
said Seyran Minasyan, expert in environmental impact monitoring,
at the press conference held at EcoLur Press Club on 27 March.

Around 200 Mets Ayrum residents oppose to the construction of this
tailing dump, which have declared about launching SOS Ayrum campaign.

The campaign is getting stronger joined by EcoLur, journalists and
public figures.

Ayrum Resident Demanding to Suspend New Tailing Dump Construction
Project

Naira Bulghadaryan,

The authors of the letter insist that the Aldermen’s Council have
approved the project without taking their opinion into consideration.

Around 70% of the village population has put their signatures under
the open letter, as a matter of fact, opposing to the local government.

Out of 4 members of the Aldermen’s Council only Oleg Durgaryan
supports the villagers, “We, the residents of Mets Ayrum, oppose to the
construction of a new tailing dump in our land areas and demand to stop
this process, unless Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine solves the reclaiming
and compliance with safety standards of the old tailing dumps.”

Expert Group member Seyran Minasyan is angry with the irresponsible
approach of the government and mining company, “We already don’t
have Akhtala River, we have an Akhtala tail pipeline. They haven’t
reclaimed tails and dumps anywhere. Now they are filling the tailing
dump in Nahatak gorge, which already has the same height as the gorge,
while winds and storms spread the tails. They mine copper, as it was
mined in the Bronze Age. It’s impermissible, it’s 21st century.”

In reply to these concerns, Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine Executive
Director Martik Hakobyan informed the “Azatutyun” that they have
large programs – they plan to neutralize the current tailing dump
and to construct a new one with latest technologies.

“People in Akhtaka starve, while we help 700 people to work and to
get salary: if the average salary in 2010 was 130,000, now the average
salary is 250,000,” he said.

Most Peach Harvest in Mets Ayrum Community Contains Lead Exceeding
MPC 2-4 Times

Arthur Hovhannisyan, Nyut.am

“Since 2013 we have been studying peach harvest in Mets Aryum
community, soil, water and leaves, and I can clearly say that the
concentration of lead (heavy metal known as a very toxic substance) has
exceeded in most peach samples, 60-70%, 2-4 times sanitary and health
standard, which is directly the impact of the tailing dump of Akhtala
Ore Dressing Combine located in Nahatak Gorge,” Seyran Minasyan said.

For comparison we took the samples of peach from road sections in
Yerevan, Aramus, Akhtarak and Zovuni and analyzed them, as we thought
that lead concentration in dust may be high and we could have the
same picture. But no, our studies clearly show it’s definitely the
result of the tailing dump.”

Villagers address a letter to Armenian Prime Minister over a tailing
dump of Akhtala Mining Plant

Karina Manukyan, ArmInfo

195 residents of Mets Ayrum rural community have addressed a letter
to Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan over the situation around
the tailing dump of the Akhtala Mining Plant. The letter has also
been sent to all parliamentary groups of Armenia, the OSCE Office
in Yerevan, Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection and the Standing
Parliamentary Commission for Agriculture and Environment.

The letter expresses concerns about the Government’s decision to
change the category of farming lands into industrial lands in the
light of construction of a new tailing dump of the Akhtala Mining
Plant on an area of 40 hectares. The letter stresses that despite
the discontent of the Mets Ayrum residents, on March 26, 2015, the
administration of Mets Ayrum made a positive decision on that issue.

Meanwhile, the exploitation conditions of the tailing dumps in Akhtala
and Mets Ayrum fail to meet the main environmental and safety standards
and endanger the health of the local population.

In addition, the rural residents have repeatedly complained of their
deteriorating health due to the impact of the Nahatak tailing dump.

The authors of the letter specify that the community people receive no
compensation for the damage inflicted to their health and environment.

In this light, the residents of Mets Ayrum come out against
construction of the new tailing dump and urge the Akhtala Mining Plant
to solve the problems related to re-cultivation and safety norms at
the old tailing dumps. In addition, the residents demand declaring
the Feb 26, 2015 decision null and void.

On March 24 and 25, a group of independent experts from Yerevan
monitored the situation in the areas adjacent to the Akhtala Mining
Plant. At a press conference on March 27, expert Seyran Minasyan said
that the group revealed tails in Alaverdi, Akhtala and Mets Ayrum. The
current management of the Akhtala Mining Plant takes no measures to
clean the specified areas from the tails.

The operating Nahatak tailing dump of the Mining Plant is also
criticized. The surveys conducted since 2013 have revealed that the
lead content in the 60-70% of peaches in Mets Ayrum is 2-4-fold higher
than the maximum admissible limit.

To note, in summer 2014 the former director general of the Zangezur
Copper Molybdenum Combine Maxim Hakobyan became the new owner of the
Akhtala Mining Plant. The plant had previously belonged to the Metal
Prince Ltd.

CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT ISN’T EFFECTIVE ANYMORE

Naira Hayrumyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 31 March 2015, 11:18

At the end of the past week Armenia briefed OSCE that since the
truce Azerbaijan has used big caliber weapons for the first time. The
representative of Armenia to OSCE Arman Kirakosyan and the Armenian
minister of defense announced about this. During the meeting of the
OSCE Permanent Council Arman Kirakosyan announced that Azerbaijan is
likely to stop observing the truce.

The truce was signed on 12 May 1994 with Russia’s mediation. In
addition, it was signed when the Armenian troops were confidently
advancing and intended to occupy territories of strategic importance.

Reaching new positions could end up in signing a peace agreement
and accordingly the international recognition of Karabakh, hence
decreasing importance of Russia in the region.

The signing of the truce enabled stopping the war, preventing Armenia
from achieving its strategic goals, maintain Russia’s control and
give Azerbaijan time to pull itself together. Over these twenty
years Russia has managed to arm Azerbaijan to the teeth. Apparently,
Russia’s influence is again threatened, and Azerbaijan is ready to
do a new favor.

The truce signed in 1994 was not followed up with a detailed protocol
and the sides were limited to a short text drafted in general terms.

This piece of paper worked for 20 years but since last summer it has
lost its force. Azerbaijan started to shoot, sending commandos every
day, soldiers are killed, and in brief, there is no agreement.

The full stop was put with the order of the Armenian minister of
defense delegating decision making on opening fire to the middle-level
commanders. The minister’s order means that Armenia, like Azerbaijan,
has stopped observing the clauses of the agreement.

In fact, the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan are not regulated
by any agreement. There is no declared war, there are no rules, it is a
war without rules where everything is allowed. In the modern wording it
is called a hybrid war. Armenia must already use hybrid technologies.

ARMENIA’S FOREIGN TRADE IN JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015 SLASHES BY 28% TO $592.4 MILLION, NSS DATA

YEREVAN, March 31. /ARKA/. Armenia’s foreign trade turnover in
January-February 2015 slashed by almost 28% from the year before
to approximately $592.4 million, according to the latest numbers,
released today by the National Statistical Service (NSS).

However, the National Statistical Service said these numbers were
not complete and were subject to adjustments.

According to official data, exports in January-February 2015 were
25.2% down from the same time span of 2014 amounting to approximately
$163.1 million. Imports were also down 28.6% from the year before to
about $429.4 million. The resulting foreign trade was worth $266.3
million. The NSS said trade deficit in FOB prices was worth $200.2
million.

Armenia’s foreign trade turnover with CIS countries in the reporting
period fell by 33.9% to approximately $162.9 million. It constituted
27.5% of the total foreign trade. Trade with Russia dropped by 35.4%
$138.7 million.

Trade with Ukraine was said to have declined by 25.8% to $16.8
million. The trade with Belarus was down by 61 percent to a little
over $1 million.

At the same time Armenia’s trade with EU countries in January-February
slashed by 35.6% to approximately $147.8 million. (24.9% of the total
trade), while trade with other countries was down by 18% to $281.6
million. (47.5% of the total trade).

According to statistics, export of mining products declined by 5.4%
to about $56.6 million; export of non-precious metals and items fell
by 11% to about $42.4 million; the export of finished foods declined
by 44% to about $26.1 million.

Import of mining products declined by 13% to about $134.6 million;
import of machinery, equipment and tools fell by 20.2% to $51.2
million and import of non-precious metals and items grew by 3.3%
to $37.5 million. ($ 1 – 471.21 drams) -0-