Author: Kajoyan Gevork

WHITE HOUSE: DISPLAYING THE ORPHAN RUG WOULD BE AN INAPPROPRIATE USE OF U.S. GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

By MassisPost
Updated: November 13, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC – In a new twist to efforts to call attention to
the Armenian genocide, a group of lawmakers has accused the Obama
administration of blocking a Smithsonian display of a rug woven by
orphans of the mass killings about a century ago, The Los Angeles
Times writes.

The lawmakers have written to President Obama urging him to make
available the rug, presented in 1925 to President Calvin Coolidge and
in storage as part of the White House collection, for exhibition. The
bipartisan group includes more than a dozen representatives from
California, which has a large Armenian American population.

The roughly 12-foot-by-18-foot Armenian Orphan Rug was to be featured
in a Dec. 16 exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington that
sought to call attention to a new book about the rug by Hagop Martin
Deranian titled “President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan
Rug.” The lawmakers had called a “pivotal icon related to the Armenian
Genocide.”

The event was cancelled when the White House refused to release the
rug for display.

A White House spokeswoman said Tuesday that displaying the rug
“for only half a day in connection with a private book launch event,
as proposed, would have been an inappropriate use of U.S. government
property, would have required the White House to undertake the risk of
transporting the rug for limited public exposure, and was not viewed
as commensurate with the rug’s historical significance.”

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) was oneof the lawmakers who had called on the
Obama Administration to allow exhibition of the “Armenian Orphan Rug”
at the Smithsonian. “The decision by the Administration to block
display of the Armenian Genocide rug is as inexplicable, as it is
hurtful to the Armenian community,” Schiff explained. “The rug is
not only a symbol of the resilience of the Armenian people through
their darkest days, it also serves as a tangible expression of the
inherent truth that not only were 1.5 million people killed in the
first genocide of the 20th Century, but that the American government
was a central player in efforts to call attention to the plight of
the Armenian people and provide relief to survivors.”

Schiff continued, “The rug deserves to be on display and the millions
affected by the genocide deserve the chance to see it – it’s my hope
that the Administration will decide to allow the rug, a symbol worthy
of the Smithsonian, to be released.”

ARTSRUN HOVHANNISYAN. “LARGE-SCALE WORKS ARE UNDERWAY AT THE BORDERLINE ROAD.”

November 14 2013

Currently, Ijevan-Berd highway of Republican significance and
Voskepar-Baghanis sector of Armenia-Georgia interstate highway remains
closed for traffic. We asked Armenia’s Defense Ministry spokesman
Artsrun Hovhannisyan until when these roads will be closed. He said
that the roads are closed for security reasons and will remain closed
as long as it is necessary. Defense Ministry’s Press Secretary said
that Vazashen-Paravakar sector, where, as a result of Azerbaijani
military harassment, a soldier was killed and 3 wounded on October 22,
currently a large-scale works are underway by the Defense Ministry to
provide road safety. A. Hovhannisyan also said that Armenia’s Ministry
of Territorial Administration, Ministry of Transport and
Communications discuss Ijevan-Gandzakar-Itsakar-Navur-Berd road repair
issue. To note that the connection of Tavush Marz with Berd is carried
out by this road. Voskan SARGSYAN

Read more at:

ARMENIA’S RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES ESTIMATED AT 9 BILLION CUBIC METERS

YEREVAN, November 13. / ARKA /. Armenia’s renewable water resources
are estimated at 9 billion cubic meters, Vldimir Narimanyan, head of
a water management agency of the nature protection ministry, told ARKA.

He said if these 9 billion cubic meters are divided to 3 million
Armenians, per capita figure will be 3,000 cubic meters, and according
to UN Armenia is a country with abundant water resources.

Narimanyan said according to UN, the country is abundant with water
if its per capita water resource is 1,000 cubic meters.

“Georgia is three times richer than Armenia, while Azerbaijan is
slightly inferior to us. Its per capita water resource is 1,700 cubic
meters per year, “he added. -0 –

– See more at:

ARMENIA TO HOST INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL TOURNAMENT

November 14, 2013

YEREVAN. – The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Cup fourth
international handball tournament will be held from November 28 to
30 in capital city Yerevan.

National youth teams from Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia will
compete at the event.

The best team will be awarded with the top prize: the tournament cup.

The handballers, who will be recognized the best after seven rounds
of matches, likewise will be awarded.

In addition, the top scorer of the tournament will receive a special
prize, informs the Armenian Handball Federation official website.

NEWS.am Sport

IRAN AND ARMENIA INTENSIFY COOPERATION IN ENERGY FIELD

Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijan
November 13, 2013 Wednesday

Baku/12.11.13/Turan:

On November 7, 2013 Iranian President Hasan Rouhani met with the
Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisian
in Tehran to discuss the possibility of expanding of bilateral
cooperation.

Presstv.ir reported that at the talks Rouhani has highly assessed the
friendly ties between Iran and Armenia and said that it is important
for the two neighbors to strengthen their cultural and economic ties.

Iranian President has also mentioned importance of implementation of
joint economic projects and expressed hope that they will bring the
results as soon as possible.

Movsisian welcomed close ties between the two countries and added that
the Armenian government is willing to expand relationships with the
Islamic Republic of Iran. Armenian Minister assured that his country
will take efforts to eliminate obstacles in implementation of the
joint projects. He has also handed a written messagge of Armenian
President Serzh Sargsian to his Iranian coleague.

On November 5, 2013 in Tehran Iranian and Armenian Energy Ministers
signed three agreements to implement joint hydraulic energy projects.

Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said the agreements envisage
exhange of power for natural gas, construction of a new hydraulic
power station on the Araks river and growth of the power deliveries
between the two countries. The construction of a new power line, which
will be funded by the both countries, has been also discussed at the
talks. The new power line will help to increase the power deliveries
by 100%. Chitchian said that the sides have agreed to export power
from Iran to Russia via Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.-0–

ARMENIA: A TOTAL CONTROL POLICY

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 13 2013

13 November 2013 – 12:29pm

Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

The candidate from the ruling Republican Party of Armenis, Ayk Aykyan,
won the early municipal elections in the Armenian town of Ararat on
November 10th. He was ahead of his rival, the candidate from Prosperous
Armenia, Samvel Barsegyan.

The election campaign was typical. None of requests by PA on holding a
meeting on the central square of the town was satisfied. The municipal
administration explained its rejections by scheduled sporting and
cultural events. However, no events took place, but the candidate
from PA had to conduct meetings with voters in yards.

An enormous amount of policemen, including representatives of special
task forces, could be seen near voting stations. Almost everywhere
voters had to stand in queues. In the first half of the day the police
arrested 10 envoys of the PA candidate, while PA’s team registered
a lot of irregularities such as bribery and a new know-how – owners
didn’t know voting citizens who were registered in their apartments.

The voter turnout was fantastically big – 67% of voters came
to voting stations. However, the signature is the same. “The
authorities used all their resources and voting falsifications –
terror, bribes. The power machine worked hard in Ararat, like during
all-national elections. However, they managed to gain an advantage
of only 300 votes,” the secretary of the parliament fraction of PA,
Naira Zograbyan, says.

RPA’s representatives stated that the results of the mayor elections in
Ararat were the next brilliant victory by the Republican team which is
headed by Serge Sargsyan. “We have proved again that we are stronger
and will always be stronger than others,” the governor of the Ararat
region, Aramis Grigoryan, said.

Meanwhile, the elections played a role in crystallization of the
political opposition field. The Armenian National Congress (ANC)
addressed its supporters to vote for PA. “Any elections should be
used as an opportunity to weaken the regime,” the vice president of
ANC, Levon Zurabyan, said. Other opposition forces – Heritage and
Dashnaktsutyun – stayed indifferent to the elections. Some experts
considered the position as a support of authorities. How can the forces
which called themselves opposition be indifferent to elections in the
country where economics are based on the oligarchic regime, the main
“hero” of an offshore scandal is the Premier, the number of the poor
is close to 40%, and migration is huge?

After the elections in Ararat, the moderate opposition PA which calls
itself an alternative to the power will probably move toward the
radical opposition ANC which demands the resignation of the President.

It appears the authorities by their own hands made PA and ANC approach
each other.

On the other hand, the ruling RPA which had to use all administrative
and financial resources won by only 300 votes. The Armenian authorities
try to prevent all internal political processes in the country. They
provide a total control policy for this. However, the strategy doesn’t
give desired results – weakening political opponents and improving
their own positions.

RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL ALLOW ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN REGIONAL PROJECTS

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 13 2013

13 November 2013 – 7:45pm

According to a member of the International Research Centre in Turkey,
Selim Ozertem, a successful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
with Azerbaijan will allow Armenia to participate in regional projects.

Such projects as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad are crucial for the
region, he underlines. A possible infrastructural project that would
connect Armenia and Turkey would become a very important route for
international traffic, he says.

“One should understand however that Turkey will only open its borders
with Armenia if the situation surrounding the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan is settled,” he says.

ARMENIAN LAWMAKERS REJECT BILL RECOGNIZING INDEPENDENCE OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 13 2013

13 November 2013 – 5:52pm

Members of the Armenian Parliament today rejected a bill that would
officially recognize the independence of the Azerbaijani breakaway
republic of Nagorno-Karabakh suggested by the head of the Heritage
party, Zarui Postandzhyan.

Only 10 lawmakers voted in favour. 1 member of the parliament
abstained, the others refused to take part in the vote.

IRAN DISCUSES ADDITIONAL GAS SHIPMENTS WITH ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 13 2013

13 November 2013 – 1:31pm

The Armenian Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan
and The Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Zanganeh have discussed
additional gas supplies from Iran to Armenia for the winter, an
exchange of Armenian electricity for Armenian gas and the expansion
of future programs in Tehran, News.am reports.

Movsisyan met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The latter handed
a message to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and discussed the
prospects for developing bilateral relations. Rouhani hailed the
positive ties with Armenia and stressed the importance of progress
in cultural and economic relations.

The Armenian Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan
and The Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Zanganeh have discussed
additional gas supplies from Iran to Armenia for the winter, an
exchange of Armenian electricity for Armenian gas and the expansion
of future programs in Tehran, News.am reports.

Movsisyan met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The latter handed
a message to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and discussed the
prospects for developing bilateral relations. Rouhani hailed the
positive ties with Armenia and stressed the importance of progress
in cultural and economic relations.

ARMENIAN STREET HERITAGE HOTEL PENANG OPENS ITS DOOR FOR GUESTS

Hospitality Biz, India
Nov 13 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013, 18:00 Hrs [IST]
By HBI Staff | Mumbai

Armenian Street Heritage Hotel recently opened its door to guests in
Penang, Malaysia. The hotel is strategically located within the World
Heritage zone of George Town, which together with the historical city
of Melaka were declared world heritage sites by UNESCO in 2008, in
recognition of its rich multi-cultural Asian heritage with considerable
European influences.

The hotel features a viewing deck on the top floor, allowing guests
to enjoy the scenery of almost the entire heritage area right up to
the coast line of the island. The hotel also serves as an extension
of the George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) office, which
is located right opposite the hotel. It is also host to the largest
model of the heritage area which is managed by GTWHI.

Located at 139, Lebuh Carnarvon, the Armenian Street Heritage Hotel
is managed by international hotel brand Tune Hotels and offers 92
rooms designed for solo travellers, couples and families. Each room
features an en-suite bathroom, luggage rack and a working desk. Fitted
out in heritage style, the hotel also offers modern amenities including
five-star mattress, television, hot power shower, hair dryer, in-room
safe and WiFi connection in all rooms.

“The Armenian Street Heritage Hotel is a project undertaken with much
love and passion especially for George Town’s heritage values. We
look forward to working very closely with the State Government and
its agencies, especially heritage and tourism bodies to bring in more
visitors to the heritage zone. The opening of this hotel cannot be
more timely to usher in Visit Malaysia Year 2014,” said Dato’ Yong
Chai Seng, Owner, Armenian Street Heritage Hotel.