Author: Kajoyan Gevork

CANCER RATE DOWN IN ARMENIA COMPARED TO DEVELOPED STATES – DOCTOR

16:17 * 04.02.15

The cancer statistics in Armenia is considerably lower today compared
to the world’s developed countries, Armenia’s chief oncologist said
today, noting that their comparative dynamics reveals 200 cases less
per 100,000 population.

“Though we can summarize the 2014 records only in March, they can
be said to have remained almost the same. The registered [patients’
statistics] in Armenia reveals 240 cases per a 100,000 residents. It
is a good record if we compare it with those in developed countries.

Their statistics is 450 [cases per 100,000 population],” Head of the
National Center of Oncology Hayrapet Galstyan told reporters.

According to him the disease statistics is almost the same among
males and females.

Asked whether the existing records are real given the high incidence of
cancer, Galstyan said theoir data procession and submission procedures
involve only the registered patients.

“And the registration is on a quite high level today, as that covers
not only the patients admitted to hospital but also those who died
at home. Additionally, we receive data from district polyclinics
and regions, as well as based upon the death certificates issued by
registry offices,” said the oncologist.

He said the most widespread form of the disease among the male
population is lung cancer (65.1 per 100,00 population), with
females more frequently developing breast cancer (67.7 cases/100,000
population).

Galstyan said their institution’s life expectancy statistics is much
higher compared to that of other medical centers.

As for the general life expectancy in Armenia, the doctor said he
sees that the country considerably falls behind developed states
(i.e. – cancer patients die more frequently in Armenia).

Galstyan explained the trend by the lower degree of patients’ care
of health issues. “We have very many cases detected at late stages –
third or fourth – among patients with primary diagnosis. They account
for 43% of the patients, as opposed to the 23% [in different other
countries],” Galstyan said, adding that the statistics very often
varies from country to country.

EVENTS DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENARY LAUNCH IN SYRIA

17:37 04/02/2015 >> SOCIETY

On February 3, presentation of Ambassador of Armenia, Ph. Doctor
in History, Arshak Poladyan’s book in Arabic, titled “Eyewitnesses’
memoires on the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire” took place
in the hall of Al-Assad National Library in Damascus. The event was
organized by Syrian Centenary Central body and sponsored by Syria’s
Culture Minister Issam Khalil, the press service of the Armenian
Foreign Ministry reported.

Minister of Culture of Syria Issam Khalil, member of the National
Progressive Front, Counselor of the President of Syria Muhsen Bilal,
Secretary-General of Socialist Union Ahmad Al-Ahmad, former Prime
Minister of Syria Muhammad Mustafa Mero, Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman
Susan, members of People’s Council of Syria, diplomats, ashirats,
leaders of Christian communities of Syria, as well as representatives
of Syrian Armenian community and media were among the guests of
the event.

During the event, numerous speeches were delivered, in which the
content of the book was touched upon, as well as the significance of
the work was stressed in raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide
in the Arab world.

The presentation was widely covered by Syrian media. The Ambassador
of Armenia gave numerous interviews on that point to Arab media.

ECOLUR’S PROPOSALS TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION DURING EXPERTISE OF QAGHTSRASHEN PROJECT

17:07 February 03, 2015

EcoLur

EcoLur’s proposals and observations will be taken into consideration in
the environmental expertise of Qaghtsrashen gravity irrigation project,
as the Nature Protection Ministry informed EcoLur in his letter.

The project plans to lay a pipieline of 27,685 meters length to take
water from the Azat River to Aygestan, Berdik, Getazat, Deghzout,
Hnaberd, Mrganush, Narek, Nerqin Dvin, Norashen, Vardashen, Verin
Dvin, and Qaghtsrashen communities in Ararat Region. Qaghtsrashen
gravity irrigation project will be constructed with World-bank funded
“Improvement of Irrigation System” project. The liability for the
project bears the project implementer – State Committee on Water
Industry.

Reminder: EcoLur has submitted its opinion on this project to Nature
Protection Ministry outlining the project risks.

“The project has anti-environmental nature taking into consideration
the data laid down in the project. The system will be constructed
in the immediate proximity to Khosrov State Reserve and Symphony of
Stones – a monument of nature. The Azat River is the main factor in
forming the ecosystem of the Azat Gorge. Khosrov reserve, Garni gorge,
Symphony of Stones and other communities are in the project affected
zone, as well as all other communities, which use the water of the
Azat River and Azat reservoir.

Currently “Yerevan Jur” Company uses 1.560 l/s water from Azat and
Goght river water basins. From June to October Garni Village takes
11.44 million cum water and 1.32 million cum water from Goght River.

The project doesn’t mention anything how much water is needed for the
villages in Ararat. The project only says that 0.85 m3/sec water will
be left in the river as environmental flow.

The project risks are as follows:

1. Even the project says that the remaining flow in the river will
be reduced in the dry and hot weather, which means that the riverbed
can get dry.

2. The project area is located in the semi-desert and desert zones,
while the absence of water will promote desertification processes in
Garni Gorge, where lack of water has already been observed.

3. Qaghtsrashen gravity irrigation project will be constructed with
World-bank funded “Improvement of Irrigation System” project. The
liability for the project bears the project implementer – State
Committee on Water Industry.”

EcoLur has proposed “Environmental Expertise” SNCO of the Nature
Protection Ministry to turn down this project.

ARMENIAN CIVILIAN WOUNDED IN AZERI SNIPER FIRE

15:37, 04 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Levon Andreasyan, an eighty-five-year-old resident of Movses village
in Tavush marz, was wounded as a result of sniper fire from the
Azerbaijani side, Spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Defense
Artsrun Hovhannisyan said in a Facebook post.

Andreasyan was taken to Berd Hospital. No further details about his
health condition are provided.

ARMENIAN LAWMAKER REQUESTS PACE TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE CALL TO PUT PRESSURE ON FREE PRESS

YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. Member of the Armenian parliament and the
head of “Constitutional Law Union” party Hayk Babukhanyan has made a
statement on PACE resolution urging the Armenian authorities to put
pressure on free press and a politician, Novosti-Armenia reported.

On January 28, the PACE passed a resolution (N584) with a vote of 22
deputies in favor, calling on the Armenian authorities to put pressure
on free press and a politician.

In particular, the resolution requests to prosecute local “Iravunk”
newspaper and the leader of “Constitutional Law Union” party for
having protected Arshakyan sisters who dared to express their negative
opinion about Conchita Wurst and have been aggressively criticized
by the gay lobby.

Babukhanyan said PACE’s call jeopardizes the key democracy principles,
the freedom of speech and press.

“I expect them to apologize and leave Iravunk newspaper alone”,
the lawmaker said on the air on Sputnik-Armenia radio channel.

Babukhanyan said the opinion in the newspaper had nothing to do with
sexual minorities in general, but was about Conchita Wurst herself
and her stage image.

It is gender fascism not to allow people expressing their views about
a person who is a minority, he said.

The politician also said in his letter it is regrettable that amid the
current global tense, certain forces try to undertake police functions,
instead of using PACE as a platform to keep the dialogue ongoing.

According to the lawmaker, it is not acceptable to turn PACE into a
punishment tool for prosecuting politicians, reporters and mass media,
whose opinion is unfavored by those who claim a monopoly on truth.

Babukhanyan proposed to concert efforts to stop wars and conflicts,
restore freedom, democracy and cooperation on the continent.

The newspaper said in his article that there should be no pressure
placed on people for expressing their views, as it is against democracy
principles, the politician said. Radicals have attacked the newspaper
this time, he said.

The Armenian lawmaker referred to the European statements about
freedom of speech in connection with Charlie Hebdo shooting case,
and said it was acknowledged that no radical minority has the right
to dictate the rules of game.

It is the same with Armenia: no radical minority has the right to
impose its rules of game, and the PACE resolution N584 conflicts with
this principle, the member of the parliament said. -0–

L’AMITIE ARMENO-IRANIENNE COMME MEILLEUR EXEMPLE DE COEXISTENCE ENTRE L’ISLAM ET LE CHRISTIANISME

ARMENIE

Hayots Achkhar, Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun, Haykakan Jamanak, Aravot
et Jamanak couvrent la visite a Erevan du Ministre des AE d’Iran,
Mohammad Javad Zarif. Celui-ci s’est entretenu avec le President
Sarkissian, le President de l’AN, le PM, ainsi que son homologue
Edward Nalbandian. Plusieurs dossiers ont figure au coeur de ces
entretiens, dont la cooperation energetique, les echanges commerciaux
entre les deux pays a la suite de l’adhesion de l’Armenie a l’UEE,
la situation regionale, le règlement du conflit du HK, ainsi que
le programme nucleaire de l’Iran. Lors de la rencontre avec le
President Sarkissian, le Ministre iranien a decrit l’Armenie comme
un >, en reaffirmant l’engagement de
son pays a approfondir les relations bilaterales > et >. Il a souligne que les relations
armeno-iraniennes pourraient servir d’exemple au monde dans la facon
dont les pays islamiques et chretiens peuvent coexister pacifiquement.

Lors d’une conference de presse conjointe avec son homologue iranien,
Edward Nalbandian a remercie l’Iran pour son approche equilibree
dans le règlement du conflit du HK. Le Ministre iranien, quant a
lui, a fait part de l’interet de son pays quant a l’Union economique
eurasiatique, estimant que l’adhesion de l’Armenie a cette structure
offre une perspective pour la cooperation entre l’Iran et l’Armenie.

L’UEE est, selon lui, une bonne opportunite pour une cooperation
tripartite Iran-Armenie-Russie. Edward Nalbandian a pour sa part ajoute
que, l’Armenie, qui vient d’adherer a l’UEE, etudiait actuellement les
opportunites de cette adhesion au profit de la cooperation avec des
pays tiers, dont l’Iran. Interroge par les journalistes armeniens de
savoir pourquoi plusieurs projets energetiques et de communication
armeno-iraniens ne voyaient pas le jour depuis des annees, les
deux Ministres l’ont impute a des >, la
volonte politique pour les mettre en oeuvre existant chez les deux
parties. Le Ministre iranien a indique qu’il y a eu recemment de très
bonnes discussions tripartites en ce qui concerne la construction
d’un chemin de fer entre les deux pays, en exprimant son espoir que
le projet ira rapidement de l’avant, sans donner d’autres details.

Haykakan Jamanak estime qu’en depit des discours, les relations
economiques et commerciales entre l’Armenie et l’Iran ne sont plus
au niveau des relations politiques et que chaque annee les echanges
economiques bilateraux diminuent. D’après les statistiques rapportees
par ce quotidien, l’Armenie exporte a l’Iran a hauteur de 100 M
USD (meme pas 7% des exportations de l’Armenie) dont 80 M USD sont
representes par l’electricite que l’Armenie produit a partir du gaz
iranien. L’Armenie importe de l’Iran a hauteur de 200-220 M USD (5%
des importations du pays) dont 40% sont constitues par le gaz qui
est ensuite rendu a l’Iran sous forme d’electricite. Le quotidien
affirme que l’Iran ne figure meme pas sur la liste des principaux
investisseurs en Armenie. Le quotidien se demande comment l’Armenie
envisage de trouver sa place dans le marche de l’UEE de 170 millions
d’habitants, si elle n’a pas pu obtenir une place dans le marche
iranien de 80 millions d’habitants.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 28 janvier 2015

mercredi 4 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LES CHEMINS ARIDES – UN DOCUMENTAIRE D’ARNAUD KHAYADJANIAN

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

Présentation détaillée du projet

LES PETITS PRINCES et ADALIOS présentent

LES CHEMINS ARIDES un documentaire d’Arnaud Khayadjanian

Je m’appelle Arnaud Khayadjanian et je suis réalisateur de films.

Ã~@ l’âge de vingt-ans, j’ai découvert qu’en 1915, mes
arrière-grands-parents avaient survécu au génocide arménien grâce
a l’aide de Justes.

Ce récit bouleversa mon rapport au génocide, aux Turcs, au
“prochain”.

Depuis, j’ai voyagé sur les traces de mes origines en Arménie et en
Turquie ; j’ai été soutenu par la Fondation Hrant Dink pour mener
une recherche historique ; et j’ai écrit ce film documentaire :
LES CHEMINS ARIDES

SYNOPSIS

En Anatolie, une marche de 47 kms sur les traces de mes
arrière-grands-parents, rescapés du génocide arménien. Au fil du
chemin, celui-la même emprunté par les déportés, les paysages
enneigés entrent en dialogue avec les voix des descendants de
survivants et de Justes.

INTENTIONS

Je souhaite explorer les lieux témoins de l’Histoire, dernières
traces du passé.

Sur les montagnes, le fleuve, la terre, le ciel – où le temps humain
s’est arrêté, laissant place au rythme imposé par la nature.

Ces paysages, dont l’immensité semble propice a la contemplation,
se font pour moi l’écho impalpable des souffrances passées.

Que reste-t-il a prélever sur ces lieux abandonnés par l’action,
livrés au “rien” ?

Que se cache-t-il dans ce vide ?

Je ne me limiterai pas seulement a faire honneur a la mémoire et
a la douleur des Arméniens, victimes du Génocide ; je ferai aussi
entendre la parole de ces descendants de Justes que leur monde condamne
a rester sans voix.

Par le biais du tableau d’Aimé-Nicolas Morot, Le Bon Samaritain,
qui m’avait bouleversé par son écho avec le récit familial,
j’explorerai le vertige de questions qu’il pose sur mon rapport au
Génocide, aux Turcs, au “prochain”.

Ce tableau interviendra d’abord comme une énigme, avant de révéler
peu a peu sa résonance avec ce qui me préoccupe.

L’Ã~IQUIPE

Auteur, réalisateur, co-producteur : Arnaud KHAYADJANIAN

Productrice déléguée : Magali CHIROUZE

Chef opérateur : Thomas FAVEL

Ingénieur du son : Francois BAILLY

Traducteur : Ã…~^afak DUYAN

Monteuse : Aurélie JOURDAN

Compositeur : Jack BARTMAN

DIFFUSEUR TV

LES CHEMINS ARIDES sera diffusé sur la chaîne locale BIP TV.

CALENDRIER

6 au 22 décembre 2014 : Tournage en Anatolie

Janvier-Mars 2015 : Post-production

Avril 2015 : Sortie du film

BUDGET

Des institutions prestigieuses soutiennent le film :

Partenaires-1414171258

Un film produit par :

ADALIOS – WEB

LES PETITS PRINCES – FACEBOOK

Ã~@ quoi servira la collecte ?

5500â~B¬ est une somme minimum pour mener a bien ce projet.

Si nous atteignons l’objectif nous pourrons financer :

Sous-titrage en anglais du film

Création graphique et technique du DVD

Création du DCP (l’équivalent en cinéma numérique de la copie
de projection)

Si nous dépassons l’objectif nous pourrons financer :

Conception de l’affiche, du dossier de presse.

Envoi du film aux festivals (frais postaux et droits d’inscriptions)

C’est donc maintenant, en choisissant une contrepartie, que vous
pouvez participer a l’aventure de ce film et vous procurer le
DVD et des goodies que vous ne trouverez que sur KissKissBankBank
!

mercredi 4 février 2015, Stéphane ©armenews.com

PRESS RELEASE
Date: February 3, 2015

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
Telephone: (202) 393-3434
Email: [email protected]
Web:

ADMINISTRATION SUBMITS FY 2016 BUDGET TO CONGRESS – CONTINUES DOWNWARD
TREND IN AID, MAINTAINS MILITARY PARITY

White House Budget Proposes $22.36 Million in Assistance to Armenia

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, President Barack Obama sent to Congress his
annual budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16), which continued
the downward trend in funding to the South Caucasus region. Specifically,
the White House budget includes $18.36 million in economic support funds
for Armenia, the lowest level proposed by the Administration to date. The
Administration maintains military parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, at
$1.7 million for Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $600,000 for
International Military Education and Training (IMET). In addition, the
Administration proposed $1.7 million in international narcotics control and
law enforcement, which is the same as last year.

`Given the proposed decrease, the Assembly will be working with Members of
Congress to ensure that robust U.S. assistance to Armenia and Artsakh is
achieved, and that Armenian American concerns regarding Azerbaijan’s
constant cease-fire violations, bellicose rhetoric and the over 20-year
blockade of Armenia are addressed,’ stated Assembly Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny. Additionally, the Assembly will continue to urge Congress to
strengthen Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act and to cease all military
assistance to Azerbaijan.

In total, the President’s FY16 request equals $22.36 million, a reduction
of $2.34 million from last year’s request.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR: # 2015-006
Available online at:

L’ARBRE – 1915 – 2015 : FINANCEZ LE FILM DOCUMENTAIRE POUR LE CENTENAIRE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

FRANCE

Le realisateur Hakob MELKONYAN

Note d’intention du realisateur

Depuis ma tendre enfance, j’ai entendu les histoires que me racontait
ma grand-mère, photos a l’appui. Involontairement cela est devenu
une partie de ma vie. J’etais si profondement impressionne qu’il me
semble souvent que j’ai tout vu de mes propres yeux et que je ne suis
pas seulement une personne de la 3ème generation de survivants.

Ses recits concernant le genocide et les massacres des enfants,
se sont imprimes dans ma conscience.

Des annees plus tard, j’ai commence a faire des recherches (en
tant qu’etudiant) a partir des sources armeniennes, allemandes,
autrichiennes, suisses, suedoises, francaises, americaines, russes
et turques (Je lis l’allemand, le russe et bien sûr l’armenien)
et en etudiant les temoignages des temoins oculaires. Toutes les
preuves etaient la, devant mes yeux, tant par des anonymes que par
des specialistes et les archives conserves de l’epoque

Je me souviens que pendant que ma grand-mère me racontait son histoire
(elle est la seule survivante sur les 38 personnes de sa famille),
elle devenait parfois silencieuse et son visage devenait distant,
froid ; elle disait qu’elle ne se souvenait plus de rien. Plus tard,
après sa mort, j’ai compris qu’elle se souvenait de tout mais qu’elle
ne voulait pas gâcher notre insouciance d’adolescents avec ses recits
d’horreurs perpetres par le gouvernement Turque. J’ai decouvert
plus tard notamment comment les soldats turcs enteraient les enfants
vivants dans des fosses geantes. Comment aussi ils avaient ete tues
par des vapeurs chaudes (dans les bains turcs), une methode qui nous
rappelle les chambres a gaz nazis.

En fait, ce sont les responsables de l’armee allemande qui ont suggere
cette > aux Turcs, etant des allies pendant la Première
Guerre mondiale. Plus tard ils ont utilise ces > contre
les Juifs. La preuve eclatante est donnee le 24 août 1939 par Hitler,
quand il declarait :

REP. SCHIFF ISSUES STATEMENT ON SYRIAN REFUGEE PROCESSING

Monday, February 2nd, 2015

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA)

WASHINGTON–U.S. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) released a statement
Monday regarding Syrian refugee processing to the United States. The
statement sheds light on the refugee resettlement process, in light
of the massive refugee crisis gripping Syria and its neighboring
countries.

“The ongoing conflict in Syria has resulted in an influx of 3.3
million refugees to the neighboring countries of Lebanon, Jordan,
Iraq, and Turkey,” the statement reads. “Current law only allows
resettlement of limited number of refugees through the United States
Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). USRAP does not accept applications
directly from the refugees abroad, their families in the U.S., or
private organizations. The only mechanism for inclusion in the USRAP
is by registering directly with the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) in the country in which the refugees currently
reside,” the statement explains.

“Individuals should only trust information about the refugee
resettlement program from responsible government entities. In order
to obtain the most up-to-date information, I urge the residents of my
district to contact my office at (818) 450-2900 or (323) 315-5555,”
the statement adds.

Rep. Schiff notes that there are no fees associated with the UNHCR
registration process.

Rep. Schiff also notes in his statement that refugee resettlements are
an arduous and long process and registering with UNHCR and subsequently
being referred to USRAP does not guarantee that the refugee applicant
will be approved for resettlement by the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security. A list of UNHCR offices abroad can
be found at the UNHCR website.

According to the U.S. Department of State (DOS), Bureau of Population,
Refugee, and Migration, the U.S. accepted 105 Syrian refugees during
Fiscal Year 2014 and 164 thus far during Fiscal Year 2015.