Author: Kajoyan Gevork

MINISTER CAUGHT PLAYING COMPUTER GAME AT PARLIAMENT MEETING

Tert.am
16.11.11

Journalists have reportedly caught Armenia’s Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources, Armen Movsisyan, playing a computer game on his
Ipad during a parliament discussion on Wednesday.

The reporters asked Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan to comment on
the incident, with Sargsyan saying he would have to check it out
with Movsisyan.

“I will find it out. That question was unexpected to me,” said
Sargsyan.

Earlier, a cameraman fixed how an official was visiting a porn website
through his mobile phone during a press conference, which caused a
wave of criticism against government officials.

RUSSIA CITIZENS ASK ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS TO PAY ATTENTION TO ARMENIAN CHURCHES IN GEORGIA

epress.am
05.13.2011

Citizens of Russia who are ethnic Armenians from the Georgian region
of Samtskhe-Javakheti have appealed to His Holiness Karekin II, the
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, ahead of his visit
to Georgia.

The Russian newspaper Yerkramas published their appeal as follows:

“Your Holiness, your visit which was to have taken place in 2010,
was thrice postponed. Different reasons were cited, including
Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II’s health conditions.

“The situation has been controversial and even criticized by the
Armenian community, where dominant was the view that the main problem
between the Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox churches is the
need to return Armenian churches in Georgia to the Armenian Apostolic
Church and the issue of not granting legal status to the Armenian
Apostolic Church in Georgia.

“And so, once again, you, our beloved Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians, have been invited to pay an official visit to Georgia,
which is scheduled for June this year. In connection with this event,
we, together with the Armenian community of Samtskhe-Javakheti and
Georgia as a whole, express our immense joy.”

The letter also lists the Armenian churches in the region and their
significance for Armenians and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

FOUNDER OF THE TATEOSSIAN LONDON BRAND IN ARMENIA

Tert.am
16.11.11

Robert Tateossian, the founder of the Tateossian London brand, is
in Armenia.

He has arrived in Armenia to open his first store in the country.

He is greatly impressed by Armenia. Talking to journalists Robert
Tateossian said that it is in Armenia that he has felt Armenian for
the first time.

Robert Tateossian’s roots are in western Armenia. His grandfather was
from Adana, and grandmother from Zmurnia. In 1915 they immigrated to
Lebanon. Later, the family moved to Great Britain.

Being of Armenian descent has been of great help, Robert says. In
Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Las Vegas Armenians were willingly
helping him to open stores. Robert Tateossian, in turn, helped the
Armenian community – he donated the profit received from his first
collection to the Armenian Church in Great Britain. Also, he named
one of his collections ‘Yerevan’.

Robert Tateossian’s first visit to Armenia is an eventful one. On Nov.

17, he plans the opening of the first store in Armenia, meetings with
officials. However, a visit to Echmiadzin is high on the agenda.

Robert Tateossian, who often sets the fashion for British gentlemen,
promises to pay regular visits to Armenia.

His store is like a child for him. He plans to regularly visit it to
check how it is working. The selection will be changed twice a year
like in other stores.

On knowing about Robert’s plans to visit Armenia, his Armenian
friends lined up in visiting him. He promised them to bring them
along next time.

TRANSFERS MAY REDUCE DUE TO MIGRATION DYNAMICS – VAHAGN KHACHATRYAN

Tert.am
16.11.11

The current migration dynamics are worrisome and may cause
a significant reduction in transfers to Armenia, member of the
opposition bloc Armenian National Congress Vahagn Khachatryan has said.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, he said that Armenia’s
economy is heavily dependent on private transfers which in their turn
are dependent on oil prices.

“Our life is more expensive than that of Boston, and our economy is
not ready to resist the crisis,” said he.

“We do not even have relevant financial reserves, [emergency] scenarios
designed for the [state] budget. Our government is more populist,
than realistic,” explains he.

Further, Khachatryan said that in 2012 Armenia’s Revenue Committee can
tax 300 billion drams instead of the 101 million planned, if the shadow
economy is reduced, and corruption and monopolies are eliminated.

Moreover, taxes levied can reach up to 500 billion drams in 2-3 years.

However, the government is aware that the consumption levels have
significantly reduced, while poverty has reached up to 60%, he added.

Further, Khachatryan said he sees a dangerous tendency when Armenian
officials speak highly of the role, positions and mission of the
Armenians who live abroad. In his words, it looks like Armenians’
mission is not living in their homeland.

YEGPARIAN: LIARS’ CLUB DISSENSION
By: Garen Yegparian

What do Presidents Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, and Armenian Genocide denier Abraham Foxman
have in common? They’re all liars, it’s seems. But they’re also
involved in the latest “open mic” scandal, when reporters heard the
two presidents speaking over a system meant for interpretation that
they didn’t realize was still live.

It seems Sarkozy, while speaking to Obama, called Netanyahu a liar
(LA Times, Nov. 9, p. A3, “Sarkozy calls Israel’s leader a liar”). Now,
I can’t vouch for the veracity of that pronouncement, but let’s assume
it’s true, just to keep our quartet together.

You certainly know Obama’s a liar. He promised to properly characterize
the Armenian Genocide as such, and has reneged thrice, on each of
the April 24’s he has been in office.

Sarkozy ran on the promise of supporting passage of a law forbidding
denial of the Armenian Genocide, then changed his tune once in office.

And of course, good old dishonest Abe of the Anti-Defamation League
(ADL) and his “tantamount to genocide” comment-which is genocide
denial, which is lying-is a past master at the art of deceit.

Here’s what’s funny. Liar Obama complains to Liar Sarkozy that he
was disappointed at not being alerted to France’s intent to vote
for Palestinian membership in UNESCO. This was after Liar Sarkozy
complained about Liar Netanyahu being, well, a liar. We don’t know
if there was any contact between Liar Netanyahu and Liar Foxman about
this matter, though it’s entirely possible. But, Liar Foxman took it
upon himself to express deep sadness and disappointment about Liars
Obama and Sarkozy’s exchange about Liar Netanyahu. And, we have a
liars’ loop!

Can’t these liars all just lie (or would that be lay?) in their bed
of deceit together and get along? After all, they are, all four,
playing on the same cheating team of duplicitous shame.

Contact whichever one (or more) of these liars you want, and tell
them what you think of their ways.

Note: Please excuse the error that crept into my previous piece whereby
I identified al-Bashir as Somalia’s, rather than Sudan’s, president.

EX PREMIER SAYS THE SOCIAL PACKAGE IS FOR THE RICH

Tert.am
17.11.11

Armenia’s current social package is designed for the rich, according
to Hrant Bagratyan, a former prime minister.

At a news conference on Thursday, Bagratyan, who is now a member of
the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC), said 2012 will be a
fruitful period for the wealthy, with the poor growing more and more
in number.

“I am under the impression that the prime minister and the president
of the Central Bank have limited their knowledge to concepts like
‘target’, ‘social risk insurance’ and ‘liquidity’. But the simple
macroeconomic logic suggests that the rich will be better off, as
their income is going to exceed the inflation rate,” he said.

TURKISH-ISRAELI RELATIONS NOT TO BE BACK ON THE SAME TRACK – EXPERT

Tert.am
17.11.11

Turkey used to be Israel’s strategic partner but the relationship
between the two countries, even if resumed, is unlikely to be same
as before, a former Knesset member has sad.

“There are no conflicts between Israel and Turkey, and only Prime
Minister Erdogan’s policies actually caused the two countries to cut
ties,” Alexander Zinker, the director of the Institute of Eastern
European and CIS countries, told the Armenian Public TV channel
yesterday.

Zinker noted that the government systems in different countries have
already perceived the move.

Speaking of the plans on selling weapons to Israel, he added: “That’s
a business, nothing personal. If there is a proposal from Armenia,
let us discuss it. We sell unmanned devices to Azerbaijan, and I know
they are being successfully destroyed in Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh],
but that’s not what I am speaking about now … As for selling weapons,
that’s quite normal,” he said.

FORMER NAVY SECRETARY PAUL IGNATIUS TO SPEAK AT NAASR EVENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 17, 2011 – 13:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On December 8, former Secretary of the Navy Paul R.
Ignatius will speak in conjunction with the publication of his memoir
Now I Know in Part by NAASR’s (National Association for Armenian
Studies and Research) Armenian Heritage Press, highlighting NAASR’s
2011 Christmas Open House, The Armenian Weekly reported.

Ignatius served for eight years in the presidential administrations of
John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, first as an assistant secretary
of the army, then as under secretary of the Army and assistant
secretary of defense, and finally in 1967 as secretary of the navy.

Following his government service, he was president of the Washington
Post for 2 years and president of the Air Transport Association for
15 years.

Ignatius is the recipient of the Army Distinguished Civilian Service
Award, the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, and the Department
of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award.

A descendant of Armenian parents from the Kharpert region of Historic
Armenia, Ignatius is a native of Glendale, Calif., and a graduate of
the University of Southern California. He earned an MBA from Harvard
University after serving as a naval officer in World War II. He is
also the author of On Board: My Life in the Navy, Government, and
Business (Naval Institute Press, 2006).

In Now I Know in Part, Ignatius looks back on his family history,
childhood in Glendale (long before it had a “Little Armenia”), colorful
characters (both famous and obscure), Hollywood brushes with greatness,
military service during World War II, and more.

The limited first edition of Now I Know in Part was published
privately in 2000. Chapters newly added for this second edition
include reminiscences of Ignatius’ former boss, Secretary of Defense
Robert S. McNamara, and two homecomings of a sort: one to Hoover
High School in Glendale and the other a visit to ancestral lands in
Historic Armenia.

HRAPARAK: USURER OR DRINKER TO LEAD ARMENIA’S PARLIAMENT

Tert.am
17.11.11

Struggle for the post of speaker is on in Armenia’s Parliament.

Vice-Speaker Samvel Nikoyan is a likely candidate supported by Armenian
Premier Tigran Sargsyan.

However, the ex-speaker Hovik Abrahamyan would not mind seeing Hermine
Naghdalyan as Parliament speaker.

The result of the struggle is a meeting with journalists held by
members of the Norashen 2007 cooperative society. They accused Hermine
Naghdalyan and her husband of usury and seizing their flats.

On the other hand, Samvel Nikoyan’s opponents accuse him of drinking
and even of making journalists drunk.

ONLY 7% OF RUSSIANS CONSIDER ARMENIA A RELIABLE PARTNER- RCSPO

ARKA
Nov 16, 2011

YEREVAN, November 16. /ARKA/. According to the survey of All-Russian
Center for Study of Public Opinion (RCSPO), only 7% of Russians
consider Armenia a reliable partner.

Group of three of the most reliable partners of Russia among CIS
countries has not been changed in the eyes of Russians: the first line
takes Kazakhstan, significantly strengthening its rating (in 2010
Kazakhstan selected 37% of respondents, and by 2011 it increased
to 42%). Belarus being again in the second place, increased its
reliability rating to 36% (in 2010 – 23%). Ukraine stayed in the
group of three leaders, but decreased the indicator (from 21% in 2010
to 15%).

Other CIS countries, as such, Russians mention less frequently:
Armenia (7%), Azerbaijan (5%), Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan (3%
each), Turkmenistan (2% of Russians). Georgia and Tajikistan trust
only 1% of respondents.

Kazakhstan stays the most stable and successful state in CIS territory
as in the past – in the opinion of Russians (42%, in 2010 – 34%). The
second place was reserved for Belarus (35%, in 2010 – 31%). The
group of three leaders with a significant backlog closes Ukraine,
a bit decreasing its rating to 17% (in 2010 – 19%).

Then comes Armenia and Azerbaijan (9% each), Moldova (5%), Turkmenistan
(4%), Uzbekistan (4%), Georgia (3%) and Kyrgyzstan (3%).

Less stable state, in the opinion of Russians, as the last year,
became Tajikistan (1%).

Among the leaders of CIS countries, Russians trust more the President
of Kazakhstan N.Nazarbayev (37% vs. 32% in 2010). The second line of
the rating takes the President of Belarus A.Lukashenko, whose level
of trust increased by 28% compared to the last year (16% and third
position in the rating in 2010).

President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich closes the group of three
leaders, whose level of trust decreased (from 17% in 2010 to 12%
in 2011).

Then come presidents of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev (7%), Armenian – Serzh
Sargsyan (6%), Uzbekistan – Islam Karimov (3%), Kyrgyzstan – Rosa
Otunbayeva, Turkmenistan – Gurbanguly Berimuhamedov, Acting President
of Moldova – Mihai Ghimpu, Georgia – Mikheil Saakashvili (2% each).

Less rating of trust level among Russians has the president of
Tajikistan Emomalii Rahmon (1%).

All-Russian Center for Study of Public Opinion (RCSPO) was conducted
in October 2011. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 138 settlements
of 46 regions, provinces and republics of Russia. Statistical error
does not exceed 3.4%.

Survey in CIS and Baltic countries was conducted in October
2011. Only 4577 people were interviewed in the following states:
Belarus (1077 respondents), Kyrgyzstan (1500 respondents), Azerbaijan
(1000 respondents), Lithuania (1000 respondents).