Author: Kajoyan Gevork

CUSTOMS UNION LEADERS WANT ARMENIA ACCESSION TREATY TO BE READY BY JUNE

RIA Novosti
April 30, 2014 Wednesday

MINSK, April 29 (RIA Novosti) – Presidents of Russia, Belarus
and Kazakhstan ordered to prepare a draft agreement on Armenia’s
Membership in the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space by the
next meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the Eurasian
Economic Commission chief told reporters Tuesday.

“It was ordered to prepare a draft agreement on Armenia’s accession to
the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space for the next meeting
of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council till June 1, 2014,” Victor
Khristenko said.

It was earlier expected that Armenia would sign EU’s Association
Agreement with a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area component
during the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2013.

However in September 2013 in a surprising turn of events Erevan decided
to back off from economic integration with Europe and announced its
intention to join the Russian-led Customs Union.

A roadmap for accession to the Customs Union was published on December
24 in Moscow.

The document contains conditions that must be fulfilled before Armenia
can join the economic alliance of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Khristenko stressed that Armenia had already fulfilled 111 out of
126 pre-membership commitments outlined in the roadmap. Another 15
conditions will be incorporated in the accession agreement, he added.

NATO’S SECOND-IN-COMMAND SAYS RUSSIA IS NOW AN ENEMY, NOT A PARTNER

Published time: May 01, 2014 17:08

NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow (AFP Photo /
Yuri Kadobnov)

NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow now says that the
allied group has been compelled to treat Russia “as more of an enemy
than a partner,” according to an Associated Press report published
Thursday.

The 61-year-old former United States ambassador to Russia reportedly
told journalists this week that Moscow’s role in the ongoing crisis
in Ukraine has forced NATO to reconsider the alliance’s opinion on
Russia, and that additional troops may soon be mobilized to the region
as tensions worsen.

AP journalist Robert Burns wrote on Thursday that Vershbow said the
Kremlin’s perceived part in the recent events in Ukraine “marks a
turning point in decades of effort by NATO to draw Moscow closer.”

NATO’s second-in-command reportedly told journalists that the alliance
is now considering new measures meant to counter any future acts of
aggression on the part of Russia aimed at partner nations, and soon
could deploy a larger number of combat forces to Eastern Europe.

Journalists reporting for Civil.Ge wrote on Thursday that Vershbow
told the audience at a panel discussion in Washington, DC one day
earlier that NATO should deploy “defensive assets to the region.”

“We need to step up our support for defense reforms and military
modernization of Russia’s neighbors, and not just of Ukraine, but also
Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan,” Vershbow said, according to
the Civil Georgia site.

NATO should think about “upgrading” joint exercises among partner
nations, the site quoted Vershbow as saying during the event,
while acknowledging that deploying forces to Georgia would be a
“controversial” maneuver.

“It is also important for the United States to show leadership… to
make sure that next steps that NATO will make, for example at the
summit in September, will be adequate response to what’s happening in
Ukraine,” the Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania said during
the discussion.

“The West should now seize the opportunity and create the reality on
the ground by accepting membership of aspirant countries, by putting
purely defensive assets in aspirant countries and predominantly
in Georgia,” Alasania added. “What is important now is to put some
deterrent capabilities on the ground like air defense and anti-armor
capabilities that will give us a chance to defend our freedom, because
we know that if things go wrong at this point no one is coming to
save us; we’ve seen that in 2008.”

Earlier this week, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said the
builduip of NATO troops near Russia’s border was “unprecedented.”

Weeks earlier, the US Air Force commander in charge of NATO’s military
presence in Europe said that US troops may soon be deployed to the
region as tensions continue to worsen near the border between Ukraine
and Russia.

For weeks now, officials in Washington and Kiev have claimed that the
recent separation of Crimea from Ukraine and the rash of uprisings in
the country’s eastern part are the direct result of destabilization
efforts spearheaded by Moscow, and both the US and European Union have
introduced several rounds of sanctions against Russia as a result. The
Kremlin has refuted these claims and rebuffed the sanctions, however,
and earlier this week Russian Pres. Vladimir Putinaccused the White
House of orchestrating the Ukrainian crisis.

“I think what is happening now shows us who really was mastering the
process from the beginning. But in the beginning, the United States
preferred to remain in the shadow,” Putin said this week.

SPONSORSHIP NEEDED FOR LENA PETROSYAN AT MER HOOYS

SOAR’s Sponsorship Program is the primary mechanism through which we
provide support to specific orphaned Armenians. The entire donation
benefits the individual you are sponsoring – no funds support the
facilities or SOAR generally, and SOAR assumes the cost of all wiring
fees. We offer three sponsorship levels from which to choose:

Once a week, we highlight an orphaned Armenian in need of sponsorship.

This week we highlight Lena Petrosyan.

Name: Lena Petrosyan

Facility: Mer Hooys

Gender: Female

DOB: February 9, 1997

Father’s name/Occupation: Unknown

Mother’s name/Occupation: Unknown

Siblings/Family history:

PRIVATE – PLEASE CONTACT SOAR FOR DETAILS.

Health history and current medical conditions:

Lena is a healthy child.

Special interests, talents, hobbies, and future aspirations:

Lena is an Armenian Karate Champion and is interested in culinary
school.

Intended use of sponsorship funds:

Lena’s sponsorship funds will be used to foster her interests in
Karate and the culinary arts.

If you would like to sponsor Lena, please contact George S. Yacoubian,
Jr., at [email protected] or select her (under Mer Hooys) through
our Sponsorship Enrollment page. Thank you in advance for your support!

SOCIETY FOR ORPHANED ARMENIAN RELIEF (SOAR)

1060 First Avenue, Suite 400, King of Prussia, PA 19406

Office: 610.213.3452 Fax: 610.229.5168

Email: [email protected] Web:

ARMENIA’S GEOPROMINING PLANNING TO INCREASE YIELD TO 130,000 OUNCES IN 2015

YEREVAN, April 29. /ARKA/. The GeoProMining (GPM) is planning to
increase annual gold production in Armenia from the current 50,000
ounces to 120-130,000 ounces in 2015, president of GPM Roman Khudoliy
told reporters. Yesterday’s commissioning of the new ‘Albion”
technology at Ararat Gold Recovery Factory will contribute to it,
according to Khudoliy.

The commissioning ceremony was attended by Armenia’s president Serzh
Sargsyan. The company has invested $140 million since 2009 in the
introduction of this innovative technology. The factory has installed
equipment from 52 countries and its construction involved 27 companies.

The Albion technology, developed by Australian Xstrata Technology
and Core Process Engineering companies will significantly increase
extraction of metal from refractory sulfide ores in Sotk gold field.

Khudoliy also said when GeoProMining bought the factory in 2008 the
yield was 2,000 ounces only. “The taxes we paid then were less than
a million of dollars, whereas no we are paying 19 million (dollars)
in taxes”, Khudoliy said.

GeoProMining owns two assets in Armenia – the Agarak Copper and
Molybdenum Combine and GPM Gold. The latter is developing the Sotk
gold mine and runs the Ararat Gold Recovery Factory. -0-

– See more at:

LABOUR NOT PROPERLY VALUED IN ARMENIA – BORIS KHACHATRYAN

12:03 â~@¢ 01.05.14

In an interview with Tert.am, Vice-Chairman of the Confederation
of Trade Unions of Armenia Boris Khachatryan said that work is not
properly valued in Armenia.

Mr Khachatryan, numerous reports say that many people in Armenia,
for example, drivers, work 12 to 15 hours a day.

We analyze the problems in employer-employee relations. We do not
conduct sectoral studies. Most problems involve extra pay, work
contracts, salaries, holidays and so on. But the major problem is
work contracts. According to different estimates, 50 percent and even
more employees are in the shadow. On the one hand, employees do not
want to establish legal relations with employers. On the other hand,
employers do not want either.

Armenia’s ex-premier Tigran Sargsyan said that more jobs with monthly
salaries exceeding 150,000 drams are available, but people did not
want to work. When he was asked to specify, he did not do it. What’s
the reason?

Let us see statistical data. The average monthly wages are 156,000
drams. According to our law on minimum wages, the minimum monthly
wages in Armenia is 45,000 drams. And now let us compare it with the
reality. What problems do the minimum monthly wages resolve? We have
two types of basket of goods here in Armenia: the first type is by
Armenia’s Ministry of Health and the second type is by the World Bank.

And they show different figures.

That is, people prefer not working?

Not that they prefer not working. They want to work, but work is not
properly paid for. In market relations everything has its price.

According to the Constitution, work must be paid for, and the
government must ensure it irrespective of whether Trade Unions exist
in a country. We have a State Labor Inspectorate. And according to
the Labor Code of Armenia, the Labor Inspectorate is to supervise
employers honoring relevant legal acts.

The movement against funded pensions has stated that the whole process
– from the Constitutional Court’s ruling to this moment, when a new
bill is being drafted – they are performing trade unions’ function.

Each individual, especially young people, can voice their opinions.

Before the movement formed, trade unions, and I personally, raised
problems back in 2010 – lack of salary adjustment, very low average
monthly wages.

Armenian News – Tert.am

MOVEMENT AGAINST FUNDED PENSIONS TO HOLD AWARENESS-RAISING ACTION

14:20 â~@¢ 01.05.14

On May Day, the movement against funded pensions is organizing a
congratulatory awareness-raising action.

The movement urges workers to join the action in front of the Institute
of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran), which is scheduled for 6:30pm.

“We are going to congratulate our workers together and urge them to
join our struggle against plunder,” reads the movement’s Facebook
message.

Armenian News – Tert.am

TURQUIE : OUVERTURE D’UNE ENQUETE JUDICIAIRE CONTRE L’ENNEMI D’ERDOGAN, L’IMAM GULEN

Turquie-USA-politique-extradition-enquête

(AFP) – Le procureur d’Ankara a ouvert une enquête judiciaire pour
tentative de coup d’Etat contre l’imam Fethullah Gulen, accusé depuis
des mois par le Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan de comploter
contre lui, a annoncé mercredi un ministre.

“Il y a contre lui de graves accusations, notamment d’espionnage. Nous
pouvons voir qu’ils (les fidèles de M. Gulen) ont constitué un Etat
dans l’Etat qui a réussi a écouter les réunions les plus secrètes
du gouvernement”, a expliqué le ministre de la Culture Omer Celik
sur la chaîne d’information turque NTV.

Selon ce média, l’enquête ouverte par le parquet de la capitale
vise des faits de “tentative de renverser le gouvernement de Turquie
ou d’empêcher ou affecter sa bonne marche”, ainsi que de “former et
diriger une organisation illégale”.

Mardi, M. Erdogan avait lui-même annoncé le lancement prochain de
cette enquête contre son ennemi Fethullah Gulen et sollicité son
extradition des Etats-Unis.

Agé de 72 ans, M. Gulen vit depuis 1999 en Pennsylvanie, d’où il
dirige un puissant mouvement socio-religieux qui compterait plusieurs
millions de membres, très influent dans la police et la magistrature
turque.

Le chef du gouvernement accuse le mouvement “guleniste”, longtemps son
allié, d’être a l’origine du vaste scandale de corruption qui menace
son régime depuis la mi-décembre. M. Erdogan, dont le régime est
au pouvoir depuis 2002, le soupconne d’avoir constitué un véritable
“Etat parallèle” destiné a provoquer sa chute.

M. Gulen et ses fidèles ont catégoriquement démenti ces
allégations.

Au soir de sa large victoire aux élections municipales du 30 mars,
le Premier ministre avait promis de “régler ses comptes” avec ses
ennemis.

Depuis la mi-décembre, il a conduit des purges sans précédent dans
la police et la magistrature, mettant a pied ou mutant plusieurs
milliers de policiers et des centaines de magistrats considérés
comme proche de M. Gulen.

jeudi 1er mai 2014, Stéphane ©armenews.com

LE NOUVEAU GOUVERNEMENT NE PROVOQUE ” PAS ‘OPTIMISME ” SELON L’OPPOSITION

ARMENIE

Dans le nouveau gouvernement et sa lente formalisation déja
plusieurs ministres précédemment critiqués ont été renommés
et le changement de ministre de l’Economie est considéré comme
crucial. Mardi sur décret du président Serge Sarkissian Karen
Tshmarityan a été nommé ministre de l’Economie. Depuis mai 2013,
ce poste avait été occupé par l’expert international Vahram
Avanesyan. De 1999 a2002 Tshmarityan était ministre de l’ Industrie et
du Commerce et de 2002 a 2007 ministre du Commerce et du Développement
économique, et de 2007 a 2012 il a été membre du Parlement.

Mardi avant que la séance du gouvernement ne commence le Premier
ministre Hovik Abrahamyan a introduit Tshmarityan en disant que sa
nomination est appropriée, car ” il a travaillé dans le gouvernement
depuis de nombreuses années, et aujourd’hui, il est député, ses
connaissances et son expérience vont sÔrement nous aider a résoudre
les problèmes auxquels notre pays est aujourd’hui confronté ”.

Bien que pendant les années où il était ministre Tshmarityan ait
connu une croissance économique a deux chiffres, les membres de
l’opposition ne sont pas optimistes, en disant que le gouvernement
ne sera pas en mesure de restaurer la confiance du public envers les
réformes et la politique.

” Serge Sarkissian a dit que ce sera le gouvernement qui apporte de
l’argent et crée les conditions pour la croissance économique, mais
je nomme ce gouvernement de ” gouvernement oligarchique ”, parce
que je pense que Serge Sarkissian essaie de faire des injections dans
l’économie avec l’aide d’oligarques. Je ne suis pas très optimiste
” a déclaré Stepan Safaryan, porte-parole du parti Héritage
a ArmeniaNow.

Mardi avec un autre décret du président Gagik Beglaryan a été
nommé ministre des Transports et de la Communication, et Hasmik
Poghosyan, ministre de la Culture.

Auparavant, le ministre des situations d’urgence Armen Yeritsyan, le
ministre des Affaires étrangères Edouard Nalbandian et le ministre
de la Défense Seyran Ohanian avaient été reconduits.

Chef d’état-major du gouvernement depuis mai 2013 Vache Gabrielyan a
été nommé Consultant du Premier ministre sur décision d’Abrahamyan.

” Je ne pense pas que quiconque devrait s’attendre a ce gouvernement
soit très différent du précédent ” a déclaré le directeur
adjoint de l’Institut du Caucase basé a Erevan, l’analyste Sergey
Minasyan a ArmeniaNow ajoutant que même le mécontentement du public
ne sera pas un facteur important.

Avant que les noms des autres ministres ne soient connus dans les
médias, la rumeur veut que la position de ministre du Développement
urbain ira a l’ancien architecte en chef d’Erevan Narek Sargsyan
qui est actuellement président du Conseil d’architecture affilié
au gouvernement.

Selon le journal “Hraparak” des changements dans le gouvernement sont
attendus non seulement en termes de chiffres mais aussi en termes de
construction, et il y a un plan de dissoudre le Ministère du travail
et des affaires sociales, dont les fonctions du département du
travail seraient probablement prises par le Ministère de l’Economie
et le service social pris par le ministère de la Santé. Par
ailleurs, selon le journal, il y a la possibilité de réunir
en un seul, les ministères de l’Ã~Inergie, des Transports et de
la Communication. Selon un autre plan, le ministère de la Culture
devrait être joint avec le ministère de la Jeunesse et des sports,
comme il était avant. En outre, le Ministère de la Diaspora pourrait
être intégré dans le ministère des Affaires étrangères en tant
que service distinct.

GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN

ArmeniaNow

jeudi 1er mai 2014, Stéphane ©armenews.com

ERDOGAN EXPECTS ARMENIANS TO TAKE STEPS TOWARD SOLUTION

Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 30 2014

Speaking at his party’s group meeting and in an exclusive interview
with the U.S.-based Public Broadcasting Service, PM Erdogan came to
the fore with remarks on issues facing Turkey

by Daily Sabah

ISTANBUL — “As Turkey prepares for the 100th anniversary of many
important issues, we [the AK Party] think we should evaluate history
from different perspectives. Our history has been written by other
powers and we endured great pains,” said Erdogan, adding that Turkey
should evaluate historical issues by moving away from political
disputes and prejudices.

The prime minister touched on how polarization and reactionism have
been used to discipline the nation for the last 200 years, but it
also caused fear in the public. A nation that lives with fear is not
able to reform and set up a healthy future, Erdogan stated.

Reiterating his message on the eve of the 1915 incidents, Erdogan said
he wished selfconfidence and strength for every Turkish citizen. “If
an individual in the country is exposed to discrimination due to his
or her ethnic origin, religion, lifestyle or values, it means that
there is oppression,” he said, noting that since the AK Party came
to power it has been working to improve the nation’s self-confidence.

Addressing Turkish citizens, Erdogan said, “Are you a Turk? You will
have no fear.

Are you a Kurd, Arab, Circassian, Laz, Georgian, Romani, Bosnian? You
will have no fear. Are you Alevi, Sunni? You will have no fear.

You will have no fear or shame because you wear the hijab, observe
fasts or pray. You will have no fear because you speak in the language
you learnt from your mother. You will have no fear of expressing your
opinion or protecting your lifestyle.”

In an interview with Charlie Rose on a program aired on the U.S.-based
TV channel Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on April 28, Erdogan
echoed his sentiments on the Armenian issue. When asked whether it
was possible to define the Armenian issue as genocide, Erdogan said,
“It is not possible because there are Armenians living in Turkey now.”

Touching on the normalization of relations between Israel and
Turkey, Erdogan thanked U.S. President Barack Obama for his efforts
to normalize relations between Turkey and Israel after Israeli
commandos attacked the Mavi Marmara ship carrying humanitarian aid
and construction materials to the Gaza Strip, killing eight Turkish
nationals and an American of Turkish origin in international waters.

On international social networks and Twitter’s temporary ban in
Turkey in February, the prime minister said, “Firstly, Twitter has
to respect everybody’s freedom. Second, they have to establish an
office in my country.

They have to pay taxes in my country as they did in the U.S.” Erdogan
added that the Twitter issue is not only about paying taxes but also
about the court’s decision that the social network did not respect
the rights of individual citizens, including the prime minister
himself who requested to have certain Twitter accounts frozen for
insulting remarks.

During his interview, Erdogan touched on political remarks made by
Turkish Constitutional Court (AYM) President HaÅ~_im Kılıc on April
25 after Kılıc and Erdogan’s dispute over the Twitter ban where
Erdogan criticized the AYM’s verdict to lift the Twitter ban and
Kılıc responded harshly. Erdogan said, “Courts should speak with
their verdicts, but his [Kılıc’s] speech aims to teach a lesson to
all. I sadly listened to that speech and I think President [Kılıc]
will remain under the burden of his speech for the rest of his life.”

When asked about Turkish-EU relations regarding expectations that
Turkey can be the bridge between the Western and Islamic worlds,
Erdogan stated that it is expected, however he is not certain of the
West’s sincerity on the matter.

Erdogan pointed out that the EU has kept Turkey at the door for years
even though its member countries increased from 15 to 27 during
Erdogan’s terms of office. Referring to the delay tactics used by
the EU against Turkey, Erdogan noted that if there would be no EU,
it would not be the end of the world for Turkey.

Regarding the ongoing Syrian civil war and Turkey’s hosting of Syrian
refugees, Erdogan criticized the U.N. for not taking important and
necessary steps on the conflict.

He said there are more than 700,000 refugees in Turkey and the country
spent $3.5 billion on them, including $150 million in contributions
from other countries.

Erdogan called for the international community to take action on the
situation in Syria.

TURKEY’S APOLOGY TO ARMENIANS ONLY A FIRST STEP

The Japan Times, Japan
April 30 2014

by Cesar Chelala

On April 23, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his
condolences to the descendants of the Armenians who were killed by
Ottoman troops during World War I — in what many consider to be the
first genocide of the 20th century. Although it is an historic apology,
Erdogan’s statement is only a first step that should be followed by
other measures to restore ties with the Armenian government.

Stating that “The incidents of the First World War are our shared
pain,” Erdogan said. “It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an
ancient and unique geography, who share similar customs and manners
will be able to talk to each other about the past with maturity and
to remember together their losses in a decent manner. … And it is
with this hope and belief that we wish that the Armenians who lost
their lives in the context of the early 20th century rest in peace,
and we convey our condolences to their grandchildren.”

Turkey still categorically rejects the term genocide and claims that
only 500,000 Armenians died of fighting and starvation in 1915. In
2013, during a trip to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, Turkey’s foreign
minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, called the events of 1915-1916 a “mistake”
and an “inhuman act.”

However, Armenians want Turkey to recognize the killing of 1.5 million
people as genocide.

Armenians’ claims received an unexpected support from German Chancellor
Angela Merkel. During an official visit by Erdogan to Germany in
February, Erdogan asked Merkel and her ruling Christian Democratic
Union party to be cautious in addressing the upcoming centennial of
the 1915 events.

Undaunted by Erdogan’s request Merkel publicly scolded Erdogan: “Turkey
must come to terms with its history. We cannot compare the Armenians
living in Armenia with the Armenians who were forcibly dispersed around
the world.” Erdogan replied, “You are asking us to accept something
that we have not done,” adding that the entire Turkish archives are
open to the world, an assertion that is not universally accepted.

Also at stake is the opening of Turkey’s border with Armenia. Although
Turkey recognized Armenia’s independence from the former Soviet Union
in 1991, it closed its land border with Armenia in 1993. Turkey has
refused to establish diplomatic ties because of Armenia’s occupation
of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and part of Azerbaijan during a war
in the early 1990s.

Turkey’s government claims that it had overcome a “psychological
threshold” during the visit to Armenia by Turkey’s foreign minister,
Ahmet Davutoglu. He attended a meeting in Armenia of the Organization
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, where he underlined the
importance of improving relations between the two countries.

During a visit to Armenia I was able to see that many of these
psychological scars persist, particularly among the older Armenian
generation. Talking to an Armenian businessman who conducts frequent
trade with Turkey, he told me, “Every time I look at Mount Ararat I
feel like crying.”

Mount Ararat is the national symbol of the Republic of Armenia,
which was lost to Turkey in 1915.

My talks with several Armenians of different ages allowed me to
conclude that there is a generational divide on how to approach
relations with Turkey. The older generation insists that the Turkish
government should apologize for the 1915 massacres of Armenians and
accept their responsibility in the genocide carried out.

The younger generation, on the other hand, without rejecting historical
facts, believe that they should overcome the negative effects of
those memories and move forward to peaceful coexistence between
both countries.

Erdogan has taken an important first step. It should be complemented
by accepting Turkey’s historical responsibility in the Armenian
genocide and by the creation of a commission of both Turkish and
Armenian historians under the auspices of the United Nations and with
representatives from the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

The task of such commission would be to analyze historical documents
that can shed light on past events and enable commission members to
reach consensus on their significance. It is only by finding out the
truth and creating bridges of understanding that we change a paradigm
of war for one of peace and progress between both countries.

Cesar Chelala, M.D. and Ph.D., frequently writes on human rights and
foreign policy issues. He is a winner of the Overseas Press Club of
America Award.