Author: Kajoyan Gevork

BAD EGGS: STATE SERVICE SAYS IMPORTED PRODUCT “CONSEQUENCE OF NEGLIGENCE”

SOCIETY | 12.02.14 | 15:48

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

Expired eggs on sale in the Armenian market that have stirred
discussions are the result of economic entities’ negligence, says
the Agriculture Ministry’s Food Safety State Service.

Market monitoring has been launched following complaints and
publications in the press claiming that imported expired eggs are on
sale in shops in Armenia with three months expiration dates.

Vahe Danielyan, head of the food manufacturing control department at
the Agriculture Ministry’s Food Safety State Service, told the press on
Wednesday that the monitoring had revealed expired eggs and eggs with
poorly visible labels stating the production/expiration dates, adding
that the violation was not wide-spread and was rapidly eliminated.

“The monitoring is ongoing across the country; we do not penalize yet,
simply warn to remove them from sale, if they fail to do that then
sanctions are applied. The emergence of expired eggs on sale can be
the consequence of a chain of inadvertences. The amount discovered,
however, is so small that we can claim it was purely the consequence
of negligence,” says Danielyan, adding that according to the Armenian
norms eggs are good to be used for 25 days from the day of production,
while the imported eggs had 60 days’ expiration dates in compliance
with the norms of the country that had exported them.

Danielyan says 15 companies in Armenia import eggs from the Ukraine,
Turkey, and Iran. During the first two months this year more than
1.6 million eggs have been imported. In 2013, Armenia produced 615.2
million and imported around 18 million eggs.

ARMENIAN OPERA THEATER CANCELS 3 PERFORMANCES AMID PROTESTS AGAINST PENSION REFORM

February 13, 2014 | 18:37

YEREVAN. – The Armenian opera theater canceled three performances
during a week amid “I am against” campaign against mandatory cumulative
pension plan.

The classical music fans will not be able to enjoy the performances
planned for February 13 and 15.

The Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent’s attempts to talk to the
theater’s leadership were doomed to failure. He was told that
the leadership is holding working consultations. Besides, the
representatives of the opera theater refused to answer whether the
performances are canceled due to continued strike.

The artists of the state academic opera and ballet theater joined the
protest actions against mandatory pension plan and refused to appear
on the stage on Monday. The staff joined the protesters in Liberty
Square outside the opera theater.

LA PRESENCE MILITAIRE RUSSE EN ARMENIE EST CENSEE PREVENIR TOUTE MENACE D’ORIGINE TURQUE

ARMENIE

RFE/RL relève que lors d’une reunion avec les membres d’une
organisation de jeunesse, le Ministre de la Defense, Seyran Ohanian,
a insiste sur le fait que l’Armenie accueille des troupes militaires
russes principalement en raison de la menace turque. Il a souligne
dans ce contexte l’importance de l’accord de 2010 prolongeant la
presence militaire russe en Armenie jusqu’en 2044. Le Ministre a
suggere que l’armee turque pourrait intervenir >
en cas de guerre au Haut Karabagh. Mais il s’est dit convaincu que
l’alliance militaire russo-armenienne aurait un effet preventif sur
d’eventuelles ambitions militaires turques. >, a-t-il dit.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 6 fevrier 2014

jeudi 13 fevrier 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

EMEUTES PLACE TAKSIM : UNE éTUDIANTE FRANcAISE PORTE PLAINTE CONTRE ANKARA

TURQUIE

Elisa Couvert, une étudiante francaise, porte plainte contre le
gouvernement turc pour l’arrestation arbitraire, lors des émeutes
de juin dernier, et les conditions de détention difficiles dont elle
a été victime.

Ã~Itudier en Turquie et être “traitée comme une terroriste”. C’est
le triste sort qu’a connu Elisa Couvert, une Francaise de 24 ans, qui
a depuis porté plainte devant la Haute Cour criminelle d’Istanbul
pour détention arbitraire et entrave a la liberté. Elle réclame
50 000 livres turques (16 000 euros) de dommages au ministère des
Finances pour violation de ses droits durant sa période de détention.

L’histoire, que relate le quotidien turc “Hurriyet” dans son édition
du mercredi 12 février, remonte au 11 juin 2013 dernier. Ce jour-la,
des dizaines de policiers anti-émeute ont repris le contrôle de
la place Taksim a Istanbul, siège du mouvement de protestation
antigouvernementale, qui secoue la Turquie depuis 12 jours.

Alors que les policiers faisait un usage massif de gaz lacrymogènes,
Elisa Couvert a tenté d’y échapper en se réfugiant au siège du
Parti de la démocratie socialiste (SDP), une formation active dans
la résistance populaire. Elle est alors arrêtée, avec une dizaine
d’autres personnes, et placée en détention pendant quatre jours.

Conditions de détention difficiles

Au cours de son interrogatoire, la jeune Francaise estime avoir été
traitée “comme une terroriste”. Elle est questionnée sur sa relation
avec le SDP et a également été accusée d’être un espion francais.

Venue étudier a l’université de Galatasaray il y a deux ans dans le
cadre d’un programme Erasmus, elle a également dÔ donner un récit
détaillé de sa vie en Turquie, et notamment sur sa thèse qu’elle
était en train d’écrire.

“J’ai attendu au centre de rétention des étrangers de Kumkapı
durant huit jours dans des conditions difficiles, en attendant que
la justice statue sur mon expulsion”, a-t-elle précisé. Elle a
finalement été expulsée le 24 juin par les autorités turques,
sans qu’aucune charge ne soit retenue contre elle. La date d’un
procès n’a pas été précisée.

?&_suid=139222016198203288931202633578

jeudi 13 février 2014, Stéphane ©armenews.com

LE CHEF DU PARTI HERITAGE FERA UN DISCOURS LORS DE L’ANNIVERSAIRE DE L’ELECTION DE 2013

ARMENIE

Exactement un an après l’election presidentielle de 2013, le 18
Fevrier, le chef du parti Heritage Raffi Hovannisian, qui ont
participe a la course en tant que candidat de l’opposition et par
la suite a conteste la legitimite du vote, fera un discours a ses
partisans et electeurs.

Le vice-president du parti Heritage Armen Martirosyan a declare que
le format de l’evenement n’est pas encore determine et qu’en d’autres
termes, il ne sait pas encore si un rassemblement public aura lieu
ce jour-la ou pas.

>.

Se referant aux processus a l’interieur du groupe parlementaire
Heritage, Martirosyan decrit comme positive la decision par le depute
Tevan Poghosyan de conserver son siège au parlement. Plus tôt, le
depute de la faction Heritage representant le secteur dit civil avait
presente une demande de demissionner, causant plus de tensions au sein
de la petite faction qui a vu un certain nombre de failles recemment.

Maintenant Poghosyan continuera en qualite de secretaire de la
faction, tandis qu’en l’absence de Zaruhi Postanjyan, qui est parti
faire des etudes aux Etats-Unis, Ruben Hakobyan sera de nouveau le
chef de la faction.

Martirosyan decrit cela comme > les tentatives par
les factions de l’opposition a l’Assemblee nationale de cooperer,
notamment en s’opposant a la loi controversee sur la retraite. Il a
egalement exprime l’espoir que cette cooperation se poursuivra et
que les partis politiques doivent s’abstenir de poursuivre leurs
interets sectoriels etroits et seront, en collaboration avec des
groupes de citoyens afin de contraindre le gouvernement a organiser
des elections libres et equitables.

De l’avis de Martirosyan, se precipiter dans l’Union douanière dirigee
par la Russie ne respecte pas les interets des citoyens de l’Armenie.

>,
a declare le vice-president du parti soulignant que le parti n’est
pas contre > avec la Russie
si l’Armenie ne perd pas son independance nationale.

Par Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow

jeudi 13 fevrier 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

TCHERNOBYL : UN HEROS ANONYME SANS PAPIERS

Le Club de Mediapart
12 fev 2014

12 fevrier 2014 | Par Helène FARGIER

Beziers 2014, un Armenien de 55 ans, liquidateur de Tchernobyl,
demandeur d’asile deboute , malade, est aujourd’hui refuse de
regularisation par le sous prefet de Beziers.

Son histoire, son combat, est repris en charge par un collectif de
sans papier.

Il appelle a la signature de cette petition.

Collectif de Defense des sans papiers

(ATTAC, ABCR, Appel des Cents, CIMADE, Le Point d’Appui, Pastorale
des Migrants, LDH, FSU, UL Beziers-Solidaires, CGT-Conseil General de
l’Herault, PCF, PS (section Beziers sud) , Parti de Gauche, ENSEMBLE
(mouvement pour alternative a gauche ecologiste et solidaire) et
des citoyens….)

Beziers le 29 janvier 2014,

Monsieur le Prefet,

Razmik HAKOBYAN est armenien, et avant l’effondrement de l’URSS,
en 1989-1990, il etait sovietique, et a ce titre, il a ete l’un des
liquidateurs de Tchernobyl.

Il est aujourd’hui ” un survivant ”

Il a travaille comme ” liquidateur volontaire ” dans le reacteur
N°3 pendant 2 mois, en juin et juillet 1987, il avait donc 29 ans
a l’epoque.

Evidemment, il a ete ” irradie “, ce qui lui a valu, une longue
hospitalisation a Erevan après son retour en Armenie après 1988.

Chez lui, tout en poursuivant son lourd traitement (hospitalisations
frequentes) , dans une Armenie devenue independante, il travaillait
comme operateur video-cinema pour une maison de production locale,
operant pour une tele etats-unienne , et filmait les actualites.

Après un reportage sur une manifestation, son film a ete confisque, il
a ete enleve, battu, sequestre pendant plusieurs jours par un groupe
” para-policier “, son employeur a fui aux Etats Unis et il a perdu
son emploi.

Devant ces difficultes extremes, il parvient a quitter l’Armenie et
arrive en France en 2007 avec son epouse Svetik (mariage en 1984)

Malheureusement, ni l’OFPRA , ni la CNDA, n’ont cru devoir
l’admettre au statut de refugie politique et ensuite vos services
ont systematiquement rejete leurs demandes de titres de sejour.

Pire, fin janvier 2013, vous faites saisir, au petit matin, par une
vingtaine de policiers au CADA de l’Oasis, a Beziers, Razmik et Svetik
HAKOBYAN et vous les placez en retention a Toulouse.

Soumettre un homme, use, fatigue et malade a ce regime n’est pas
digne de notre republique et d’ un pays d’accueil comme la France.

Choque et traumatise Monsieur Hakobyan fait un problème cardiaque et
doit etre hospitalise en urgence a Toulouse.

Vous rapportez alors votre mesure d’eloignement le 1er fevrier 2013
et delivrez une autorisation provisoire de sejour a Monsieur et Madame
Hakobyan du 15 avril 2013 au 14 juillet 2013.

Ils deposent, une nouvelle demande de titre de sejour le 15 octobre
a la sous prefecture de Beziers.

Dès le 6 novembre la demande est rejetee, assortie d’une Obligation
a quitter le territoire, signee de Monsieur le Sous Prefet de Beziers.

Monsieur le Prefet, vos services ont , une connaissance parfaite de ce
dossier et vous ne pouvez donc ignorer la gravite de l’etat de sante
de Monsieur HAKOBYAN et la presomption forte d’un lien de causalite
entre son etat actuel et son sejour dans le reacteur de Tchernobyl.

Il faut savoir que sur sa ” brigade ” de 30 hommes, ils ne sont que
quelques survivants.

L’importance du sacrifice des liquidateurs dans les centrales
endommagees et la gravite des pathologies de ce monsieur obligeant
a des traitements coûteux, mais vitaux, rendraient inexcusable son
renvoi dans un pays où :

ces traitements etant totalement a la charge des malades, il ne
pourrait y faire face sans emploi et ressources, et cela le vouerait
a une mort certaine .

il a subi des violences par des forces de l’ordre dans l’exercice de
sa profession.

Nous vous demandons donc, Monsieur le Prefet de faire preuve de
comprehension et d’user de votre pouvoir de regulariser a titre
exceptionnel et pour des considerations humanitaires, comme le
prevoit l’article 313-14 du CESEDA, Monsieur Hakobyan et son epouse
Svetik Hakobyan.

Nous avons l’intention d’ici quelques jours, d’organiser une conference
de presse sur cette situation.

Veuillez recevoir, Monsieur le prefet, nos salutations distinguees.

pour signer la petition:

RPL: ARMENIAN FORWARD SARKISOV MOVES TO VOLGA

R.Sport, Russia
Feb 12 2014

MOSCOW, February 12 (R-Sport) – Armenian forward Artur Sarkisov has
left Russian Premier League newcomers Ura Yekaterinburgl to join
fellow strugglers FC Volga, Yekaterinburg-based club said Wednesday.

The 27-year-old signed a three-year deal with Ural in July, but failed
to impress the coaching staff, scoring once in 13 appearances.

Sarkisov played for Volga last season on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow,
when he bagged in three goals in 18 matches, helping the team to
stave off relegation.

He also has 21 caps and three goals for the Armenian national team.

Sarkisov becomes the second winter signing for Volga, following
Polish midfielder Ariel Borysiuk, who was taken on loan from German
second-tier side Kaiserslautern last month.

The team are looking to avoid the drop as they sit one place above
the relegation playoff zone with 11 games to go.

ACTIVITY INCREASED ON THE ARMENIAN STOCK EXCHANGE- PENSION REFORMS IN DOUBT

Balkans.com Business News
Feb 12 2014

bne – 12.02.2014

Activity has already increased on the Armenian stock exchange in
anticipation of an inflow of money after the launch of the country’s
controversial compulsory pension scheme. Parts of the reforms have
been suspended pending a constitutional court ruling, but the Armenian
government is determined to push through the changes despite intense
public opposition.

Many Armenians have been angered by the requirement, which came
into force on January 1, 2014, for all employees born after 1974
to contribute a steep 5% of their gross salaries to private pension
funds. While this deadline has already passed, the opposition shows
no sign of dropping its campaign to have the plans overturned.

Around 6,000 people turned out in freezing temperatures to join
a rally against the reforms on January 18, and more protests are
expected. Opposition MP Hrant Bagratyan told the Armenian parliament
on February 4 that insistence on the reforms would lead to “a Maidan”,
referring to the turmoil in nearby Ukraine, ArmInfo reported.

The size of the contribution required is one of the key objections
raised – taking into account taxes already deducted, for some high
earners the mandatory contribution works out as high as 12% of their
net salary. Opponents also believe they should be able to make their
own decisions on how to save for the future. While a voluntary version
of the scheme was introduced back in 2011, there have been virtually
no takers, with most Armenians preferring to keep their money in the
bank or invest in real estate.

There is also mistrust about how pensions contributions will be
managed, with memories of the loss of savings in state-owned Sberbank
after the collapse of the Soviet Union still strong.

The Armenian government has sought to prevent mismanagement by
selecting two European fund managers through an international tender
process. Amundi, which was set up by French banks Credit Agricole
and Societe Generale, and Cologne-based Talanx Asset Management,
a subsidiary of German insurance firm Talanx were selected in 2013.

However, the two fund managers suffer from a relatively low profile in
Armenia, which has not helped the situation, points out Aram Kayfajyan,
CEO of Yerevan-based investment house Armenbrok. “The government is
determined to carry through the reforms, but there is a high level
of public dissatisfaction. The problem is that the population does
not know how to choose their fund, how it will be managed, or what
to expect in five or ten years time, and as a result of this lack of
awareness a lot of fears are being raised,” Kayfajyan tells bne.

“The Armenian authorities have been explaining how the system will
work, but it’s not enough. People want to hear from the fund managers,
and they have not paid enough attention to Armenia so far. We know
that the asset managers are very big and the Armenian market is small,
but people want to see active participation by the pension funds in
our society,” he says.

Legal challenge

Government officials do, however, appear confident they can win
a challenge against the reforms in the Armenian constitutional
court brought by four opposition parties: the Heritage Party,
Armenian National Congress, Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the
Prosperous Armenia Party. On January 24, the Armenian Constitutional
Court suspended some provisions of the new pensions law – including
Article 76 which stipulates that penalties may be imposed for failure
to make mandatory pension payments – pending a hearing due to be
completed by March 28.

At a meeting with labour and social affairs ministry officials on
January 24, President Serzh Sargsyan said the reforms “will be called
historical, years will pass and your work today will be only granted
respect and gratitude,” according to a statement on the president’s
website .

The government argues that the existing pensions system
is unsustainable given Armenia’s aging population. According to
the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the proportion of the
population aged over 60 is expected to increase from 14.6% in 2010
to 20% by 2020. Longer life expectancy, a falling birthrate and a
high level of emigration are all contributing factors.

With the first payments not expected to reach the pension funds
until February 20, there has already been an increase in activity
on the Nasdaq OMX Armenia stock exchange in Yerevan. This follows a
combination of stock market reforms, the launch of Armenia’s first
sovereign Eurobond, and the expected influx of money from the pension
funds.

In September, Armenia raised $700m with its first ever sovereign
Eurobond, dubbed the “Kardashian bond” by international bankers. The
finance ministry reported that the issue was substantially
over-subscribed, with investors ready to buy up to $3bn. Although –
unlike in neighbouring Georgia – this issue has not yet been followed
by corporate offerings, it has helped to stimulate the local exchange.

The bonds started trading on Armenia’s stock exchange on January 31.

Although the two pension fund managers have not yet said how much
they will invest in the Armenian market, at least some investments
through the stock exchange are expected. The expected influx of money
has already brought down the yields on government bonds. According to
Kayfajyan, this has made it possible for corporates to take advantage
of the margin that has opened up to issue their own bonds. “The stock
exchange is working to introduce new instruments and make technical
improvements. We expect this will bring new investors to the market.

The equity market is very inactive but we hope the development of the
fixed income market will push companies to become more active in the
equity market as well – though this is unlikely to happen in the next
two to three years,” he says.

In addition to government bonds and bank deposits, the new pension
funds will be able to invest in dram-denominated bonds issued by the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) , which on
January 31 issued its first Armenian dram-denominated bonds through an
auction on the Nasdaq OMX Armenia. According to the EBRD, the issue
was the first publicly auctioned issue by either a foreign borrower
or an international financial institution on the exchange.

bne-Clare Nuttall

ARMENIA’S BIG BUSINESS BREAKS LAW WHEN IMPORTING EGGS FROM UKRAINE – NGO

February 12, 2014 | 13:55

YEREVAN. – It is not clear who is responsible for the expired eggs
that are imported to Armenia from Ukraine, since there was no violation
of the law.

Babken Pipoyan, Chairman of “Informed and Protected Consumer” NGO,
told the above-said at a press conference on Wednesday.

He commented on the media information that expired eggs were imported
to Armenia from Ukraine.

“Our regulation specifies table eggs and dietary eggs, and the storage
period is 25 days, whereas Ukraine allows these eggs to be stored
for up to 60 days.

“This is a wrong product labeling for us. There was a precondition
upon entry to Armenia that there be a second label on the date of
expiry. But Sovrano [i.e., the company that imports eggs from Ukraine
to Armenia] violates the terms and introduces [the eggs] to the sales
network without a second label.

“And the small business, which has acquired these eggs, suffers here.

It turns out that the big [business] breaks the law yet the small
business suffers,” Pipoyan stated, in particular.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

CUSTOMS UNION DOOMED TO FAILURE – ARMENIAN MP

21:35 * 12.02.14

MP Alexander Arzumanyan, Board member of the Armenian National Movement
(ANM) party, has commented on the “European package” discussed in
Brussels.

According to him, nothing can be said now as neither Armenia nor the
European Union has a clear idea. Arzumanyan points out the need for
a new format of Armenia-EU relations. The Customs Union is a dream,
which has no future.

Mr Arzumanyan, NGOs have no idea of the European package, which
was discussed in Brussels and outlines the prospects for the Eastern
Partnership (EaP) member-states -Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia,
Moldova, and Ukraine. Are you generally informed of the package?

Nothing is clear yet, the process is not transparent. The sides are
obviously seeking to continue the process, and the lack of transparency
gives rise to doubts. And, as you have mentioned, a number of the
Forum of Civil Society Organizations are outside of the process.

And what about the package being intended for 13 states? Does it mean
the cooperation is not going to be at the expected level? That is,
a ‘collective’ document for all the member-states. Or a new document
may be needed to replace the Armenia-EU document signed back in 1999.

It is obviously an out-of-date document. Something new is needed,
and this new thing is Europe or the idea of the European Union, an
Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area
Agreement. This process has failed, as we have to find a new format
of relations. But nothing can yet be said now as neither Armenia
nor the European Union has a clear idea. No one has any idea of what
course we are going to take. All that you have mentioned is nothing
but declarations, wishes. However, a parallel process involving the
Customs Union is ongoing, with hundreds of documents being prepared.

Time will show the fate of the documents and the possibility of their
being in conflict with our commitments to the European Union.

Have you scrutinized the roadmap for Armenia’s accession to the
Customs Union? And what you have mentioned at from the roadmap – losing
sovereignty, possible transition to the Russian currency and so on –
in the context of your previous statements. When may it happen if it
does at all?

Our international partners are now raising the problems we may face.

Specifically, in our relations with the World Trade Organization
(WTO) because, after intense negotiations, we proved to be among
the first former Soviet states to join the WTO, whereas Russia had
been seeking WTO membership for years. And now we are going to yield
this all to a superstate, with Kazakh and Belarusian officials to
negotiate on behalf of Armenia. It is unacceptable and in conflict
with Armenia’s Constitution, to say nothing of other agreements
under which we are to lose many of our sovereign powers. Economists
can make a clear assessment. As to the talks about the ruble zone,
they are one more piece of evidence of the threats that existed even
during the negotiations. Even discussions of Armenia’s joining the
ruble zone are unacceptable.

The roadmap envisages hundreds of amendments to laws and so on. Do
you think Armenia’s laws, which are considered progressive, will
experience regress?

The laws will be submitted to the parliament and we will discuss them.

But there are conflicts. Our trade regime is much more liberal and
needs to be conformed to Russia’s trade regime. If we do not act with
reason, it may have serious political consequences.

The world is dynamically changing, and the Customs Union is doomed
to failure. It is more important for us to build up a normal state in
Armenia, a strong and democratic state, which would be able to decide
in favor or against ceding part of its sovereignty, cooperating with
some nations or others. The Customs Union is an illusion produced by
a great empire’s ambitions. It will never become a reality.

Armenian News – Tert.am