Author: Kajoyan Gevork

PUTIN FAN CLUBS GET A LITTLE CULTISH IN ARMENIA

The Atlantic

Feb 2 2012

Yet, as with any love story, skeptics abound.

There may generally be something creepy about political youth groups,
but a youth cult for Russia’s aspiring eternal leader, Vladimir Putin,
sounds twice as eerie. And we are not even talking about something
in Russia, but south of the Caucasus mountain range — in Russia’s
ally, Armenia.

And not one group, but two.

The fact that Russia’s March presidential elections are just around
the corner, is, of course, a mere coincidence. This is a case of true
love, plain and simple.

The first Putin pack is the brainchild of an outfit called the
International Center of Young Armenians and a youth arm of the
Russia-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States. It plans to talk
all things Putin at its gatherings, show Putin films, read Putin books,
promote Putin thoughts (about Armenia and otherwise) and, basically,
instill love for the Russian prime minister and comeback presidential
candidate among young Armenians.

Yet, as for any love story, skeptics abound. Armenia may top the
Caucasus charts for ties to Russia, but the Putin love-in, coming
amidst unprecedented Russian opposition to Putin, nonetheless has
been ridiculed and deplored by many Armenians.

To put that scorn into action, several young people who deem Armenia’s
Putin clubs “abnormal” recently set up a mock Putin club of their
own, complete with photos of a bare-chested Putin, RFE/RL reports
(scroll down to see the video). Club #2 unites groups such as the Free
Russophiles, The Dark Forces, One Elephant and the Union of Accountants
of Kotai Region — a coterie angrily described by Putin club #1 as a
“bunch of obscure people and organizations.”

It remains to be seen which take will prevail with young Armenians.

Granted, though, political youth clubs have a long history in former
Soviet republics like Armenia. If Putin club #1 comes up with a song,
it may well sound like this.

[An earlier post reported that two Putin clubs exist in Armenia along
with a mock Putin club. This post was corrected on February 2, 2012
after your tamada learned firsthand that media reports identifying
club #2 as a sincere Putin fan club were incorrect.]

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA ATTENDS JUBILEE CONCERT OF “KARIN” ENSEMBLE

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 2, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
and his spouse Rita Sargsyan attended Thursday the concert of “Karin”
traditional song and dance ensemble in Aram Khachartryan Concert Hall.

The ensemble dedicated its unique concert entitled “Return to the
Roots” to its 10th anniversary, president’s press service told
Armenpress.

KARABAKH CONFLICT IN FOCUS OF EUROPE-RUSSIA TALKS

TODAY.AZ
02 February 2012

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin met with the Deputy
Secretary General for the European External Action Service, Helga
Schmid.

They discussed topical issues in the relations of Russia and the
EU with Ukraine and the countries of the South Caucasus. They also
discussed the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the
Transdniestria conflict.

EXPERT SUGGESTS IRAN ASSIST OIL PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 2, 2012 – 19:45 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Following recent developments over Iran nuclear
program, Iran’s political elite has given up illusions in relation
to Hamas and other Palestinian organizations that have traditionally
been regarded as pro-Iranian, according to deputy head of YSU Oriental
Studies department Vardan Voskanyan.

The expert noted that Iran has halted financing these organizations,
suggesting the assistance be aimed to implementing economic projects
in Armenia.

“I deem Iran’s initiative reasonable, particularly in terms of oil
pipeline construction as Armenia may facilitate export of the Iranian
oil,” Mr.Voskanyan said.

RECORD NUMBER OF FOREIGN STUDENTS ENTER YEREVAN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

arminfo
Friday, February 3, 15:47

The record number of foreign students entered Yerevan Medical
University after Mkhitar Heratsi in 2011, Armenian Education Minister,
Armen Ashotyan, said at the session of the Management Council of the
University, Friday.

In 2011 the number of foreigners which entered Yerevan Medical
University were by three times more than in 2010, 515 students from
abroad, 300 of which – citizens of India.

Ashotyan hopes that international accrediting of the University will
make it possible to raise the interest to it in abroad and citizens
of other countries will also join India, Syria and Iran in their wish
to enter this University. “We have interesting proposals from China.

Moreover, Russia is also a big market”, – Ashotyan said.

Today the University has 6365 students, 1135 of which are foreigners.

DASHNAKTSUTYUN MIGHT RETURN TO RULING COALITION, FORECASTS SOCIOLOGIST

epress.am
01.12.2012

The possibility of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D) again entering the ruling coalition in
the upcoming parliamentary elections is not ruled, depending on
the resolution of the Armenian Genocide issue and developments in
Armenia-Turkey relations, said sociologist Aharon Adibekyan at a
press conference in Yerevan today.

In his opinion, there won’t be any major shocks in the elections.

“Our forecasts indicate that the Armenian National Congress has a
chance of getting into parliament, and consequently, we will have
a strong opposition in parliament and our National Assembly will
operate in a completely different mode,” he said.

According to Adibkeyan, data from the polls cannot be decisive at this
time; they will be publicized in the coming days, after ascertaining
the monitoring findings.

“Based on today’s polls, only every 6th person will go to the voting
polls and has decided who he or she will vote, while the others have
their doubts,” he said.

20TH ANNIVERSRAY OF THE ARMENIAN ARMY MARKED AT THE US CENTRAL COMMAND

armradio.am
03.02.2012 16:05

An event dedicated to the 20th anniversray of formation of the Armenian
Armed Forces was held at the US Central Command. About 100 high-ranking
servicemen and civilians from more than 60 countries participated in
the event.

Representative of RA Armed Forces at the UN Central Command, Lieutenant
Colonel A Lazarian presented the stages of formation of the Armenian
Army.

The Chief of Staff of the US Central Command, Lieutenant General
Carl Horst congratulated the Armenian Armed Forces and praised
the participation of Armenian peacekeepers in the security and
stabilization activities in Afghanistan.

ARF DOES NOT EXCLUDE NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES IN MAJORITY CONSTITUENCIES OF ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 3, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Revolutionary Federation
does not exclude the possibility of nominating majority candidates
in the coming parliamentary elections, member of the ARF Bureau Vahan
Hovhannissyan told a news conference Friday.

“We are viewing the real policy with open eyes and we understand that
we may not succeed in our fight to fully pass to the proportional
system,” Hovhannissyan noted. In his opinion, certain concessions
though may be made.

“If there are majority seats in the elections, we of course, in not
all constituencies, but in a number of important ones will fight
with majority candidates. It is not excluded that we will fight by
defending other opposition candidates,” Hovhannissyan said.

ARMENIAN REFUGEES FROM AZERBAIJAN DEMAND CERTAIN PUBLIC AND POLITICAL FIGURES TO STOP DERISION

arminfo
Friday, February 3, 13:52

Over the last 1.5 year certain public and political figures and
public organizations have assumed to themselves the right to come
out on behalf of all the Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan, says the
statement by a group of Armenian refugees.

The statement signed by around 500 refugees reads: “These people
think it enough to name their organizations ‘Congress of authorized
representatives of Azerbaijani Armenians’ or ‘Assembly of Azerbaijani
Armenians’ to assume the right to themselves to submit their projects
to the Armenian and world community as quintessence of aspirations,
hopes and goals of all the Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan. Some
of them suggest building a town in the liberated territories and
expel 100,000 Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan to that town. Others
are sure that we should return to Baku and live side by side with
those who killed our relatives and expelled us. They speak of a third
Armenian country of refugees that should be created in the liberated
territories. We are alive and we don’t want to become a weapon in
the hands of adventurers, pseudo-politicians and irresponsible people.

None of those people has done anything to deserve our trust and to
speak on our behalf:.Let’s Ashot Manucharyan, Andreas Ghukasyan, Mariam
Avagyan, Anahit Tarkhanyan, Hranush Hakobyan, Nikolay Babajanyan,
Grigory Ayvazyan and others (if there are any) set tents in the
liberated territories and start building statehood and town for
themselves. Maybe in some 3-4 years other patriots will join them.

Without all this, their statements are nothing but phrasemongering,”
the statement reads.

The refugees further state: “We believe that Armenians of Azerbaijan
suffered a huge moral and material damage that must be recompensed by
Azerbaijan. Relevant authorities of Armenia and Artsakh should raise
the issue of compensation and not the self-proclaimed ‘defenders’
of the refugees’ rights.”

ARMENIA’S INTERNET MARKET ATTRACTS NEW STAKEHOLDER

Tert.am
03.02.12

A leading Russian telecommunication company has decided to join
Armenia’s internet market, becoming a shareholder of a major Internet
operator in the country.

According to the Russian news website Gazeta.ru, Rostelekom has
purchased 75% (-1) of the shares belonging to the Network Services
Provider GNC-Alfa. The Russian company’s president, Alexander
Provotorov, was quoted as saying that their control over the
Armenian internet operator would enable them to acquire a developed
infrastructure on country’s telecommunication market which has great
potentials for development.

In 2011, GNC-Alfa’s profit made $12 million, its net debt amount was
less than $1million.

Rostelekom’s plan to purchase GNC-Alfa’s shares was unveiled on January
13. The Russian media said the company also wanted to acquire Ucom,
an independent internet provider in Armenia’s telecommunication
sector. The deal would increase Rostelekom’s shares on the Armenian
internet market to 13%.