Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Suisse
Y aura-t-il un monument à la mémoire des Arméniens à Genève ?

En mai 2008, la Ville de Genève a voté en faveur de l’édification d’un
monument en mémoire du génocide des Arméniens.

Suite à cette décision politique, le Fonds d’art contemporain de la
Ville (FMAC) a été chargé de la mise en oeuvre du projet artistique en
partenariat avec la communauté arménienne, à l’origine de la demande.
Huit artistes internationaux de renom ont été invités à concourir. Et
c’est Melik Ohanian, artiste français qui a été choisi pour son projet
« Les Réverbères de la Mémoire ».

Il s’agit de sept lampions de style Art nouveau btis en fonte, se
terminant par deux cascades lumineuses en forme de larmes.

Sur chacun des luminaires, des textes sont écrit en Arménien et en français.

Mais, car il y a un mais, le projet pourrait se retrouver dans le
tiroirs aux oubliettes en fonction des intérêts suisses vis-à-vis de
la Turquie et de la pression exercée par le lobby nationaliste des
associations turques en Suisse. Pression exercée par ailleurs via
Twitter sur le journaliste de la RTS Darius Rochebin (voir ICI) ,
`conversation` au cours de laquelle s’est invité le chercheur en
histoire Maxime Gauin, mais de laquelle il s’est brusquement éliminé
après avoir écrit « Avez-vous lancé une invitation aux diverses
victimes du #terrorisme arménien en Suisse ? »

L’édification d’un monument constitue pour la communauté arménienne, à
l’origine du projet, et pour la Ville de Genève une contribution à la
lutte pour la mémoire des génocides et des crimes contre l’humanité
dans un esprit d’ouverture et de dialogue.

Il faut rappeler que la notion juridique de génocide a été formulée
pour la première fois par le juriste Raphaël Lemkin en référence au
génocide des Arméniens de 1915.

Il est donc légitime qu’un monument à la mémoire de ce génocide soit
érigé à Genève, la Ville des droits de l’homme.

De plus, la réalisation d’une oeuvre telle que celle-ci doit être
considérée comme un geste d’ouverture et participer à l’évolution des
mentalités et des pensées.

En ce sens, l’oeuvre de Melik Ohanian participe à cette
transformation, de même qu’elle met en évidence le rôle de l’artiste
dans la société.

Dès lors, les représentants de la communauté arménienne et le FMAC ont
travaillé de concert afin de déterminer des enjeux artistiques
déterminants pour la réalisation d’une oeuvre significative et
emblématique.

« LES RÉVERBÈRES DE LA MÉMOIRE », UN PROJET SENSIBLE, EMBLÉMATIQUE ET
RASSEMBLEUR

Le point de départ du projet de Melik Ohanian est un objet de mobilier
urbain, que chaque individu, quelle que soit son histoire, a
certainement croisé au cours de sa vie. Un candélabre au pied duquel
les gens se sont donnés rendez-vous, autour duquel ils ont déambulé,
médité, palabré.

L’artiste magnifie cet objet quotidien inscrit dans la mémoire de
chacun et le dépouille de toute fonctionnalité pour le transformer en
une sculpture en bronze.

Chaque partie du réverbère est étudiée et personnalisée.

Le fût devient le support de textes gravés. Une larme chromée, dans
laquelle l’individu pourra y voir son reflet et celui de son
entourage, illuminée par une source lumineuse orangée ancrée dans le
sol comme une flamme de bougie, remplace l’ampoule. Enfin, la
décoration en arabesques rappelle les ornements présents dans les
enluminures. Le réverbère, d’une hauteur de 8 mètres, tout en restant
à chaque fois unique dans sa forme, se voit démultiplié et dispersé
sur le Bastion Saint Antoine.

samedi 16 novembre 2013,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com
‘852

AZERBAIJAN SHIFTS POST-ELECTION FOCUS TO ECONOMY

Zawya , Middle East
Nov 15 2013

Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev may have won the elections in
October for a third time, but he could not secure what he most prized
– legitimacy.

International observers from the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) noted the elections were undermined by
limitations on fundamental freedoms, lack of level playing field and
“significant problems on election day.”

“A high number of observers assessed the situation in polling stations
on election day as negative, with significant problems coming in
the opening, voting and counting procedures,” the watchdog said in
a statement. “They reported clear indications of ballot box stuffing
in 37 polling stations, and the counting was assessed negatively in
an unprecedented 58% of the stations observed.”

Even the US, which is an Azerbaijani ally, said that the elections
“fell short of international standards.”

Nevertheless, the president secured 85% of the votes with his
challenger Jamil Hasanli securing a mere 7%.

With the formality of elections out of the way, the president is now
redirecting his energies back on the economy, which appears to have
stumbled lately.

The International Monetary Fund expects Azerbaijan’s GDP growth
will recover to 5.6% in 2014, compared to 3.5% this year, as the
pre-election fiscal and monetary stimulus continues to ripple across
the economy and natural oil and gas revenues improve.

After growing at an annual average rate of nearly 16% from 2000-07,
the Azeri economy began slowing down considerably and eked out minor
gains over the past three years.

OIL-DRIVEN ECONOMY

The growth had been entirely driven by oil and gas extraction industry,
and higher commodity prices in the early years.

“The rise in oil-related revenue has enabled the government to
generate fiscal surpluses and to significantly invest in the country’s
infrastructure, thereby transmitting the positive effects from the
oil sector to the broader economy,” said Moody’s ratings agency in
an October report. “As a result, Azerbaijan’s poverty levels have
dropped significantly, limiting the likelihood of domestic political
and social unrest.”

But crude oil production has faltered in recent years. Azerbaijan’s
oil supply declined 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) this year to average
around 850,000 bpd. The Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) offshore field
saw production decline by nearly 50,000 bpd this year. ACG accounts
for 78% of Azerbaijan oil output.

The troubles at the oilfield may be a harbinger of more pain to come
as oil production is expected to decline over the next two decades,
according to the International Energy Agency.

Indeed, the vulnerabilities of oil and gas-dependent wealth is
apparent, as Azerbaijan’s fiscal breakeven oil price stands at around
USD 90 per barrel, which makes it vulnerable to the commodity’s
price volatility.

Current account surpluses are also falling from a high of 35.5%
of GDP in 2008 to an estimated 9.2% in 2014.

But as crude production declines, the country’s natural gas production
is expected to rise at an annual average growth rate of 4.5% over
the next two decades to reach 47 billion cubic meters (bcm), from
its current level of 16 bcm, the IEA estimates.

Much of it will be driven by Shah Deniz field which is expected to
supply Azeri natural gas to European markets. Once the pipeline is
built, around 2020, some 10 bcm per year of gas is set to flow to
southern Europe with the possibility of later capacity expansion to
20 bcm.

BEYOND HYDROCARBONS

Fitch Ratings believes government spending will drive growth of 10%
in the non-oil economy in 2013, but provide less impetus in 2014
and 2015. Growth prospects outside the oil sector are also hampered
by a poor business climate, although the government is piloting
improvements, the ratings agency noted.

“The non-oil sector, supported by public spending and a credit boom,
has expanded at double-digit rates and is at risk of overheating,”
said the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in its
latest report on global economic prospects, noting that inflation is
expected to soar to 6.3% next year from 3.7% this year.

But the country’s State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ)
and the Central Bank of Azerbaijan have sizeable foreign funds to the
tune of USD 45 billion (or 66% of GDP) to ensure that the government
can withstand external or internal shocks.

ARMENIAN CONFLICT

Apart from the risk of falling commodity prices, Azerbaijan’s dispute
with Armenia remains a cause for concern over Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh territory.

“An immediate concern is military miscalculation, with implications
that could far exceed those of a localized post-Soviet frozen conflict,
as the South Caucasus, a region where big powers meet and compete,
is now also a major energy corridor,” said the International Crisis
Group in a recent report.

Clashes increasingly occur along the Azerbaijani-Armenian frontier far
from Nagorno-Karabakh, the conflict’s original focus. Tensions have
also spread to areas along the border with the Azerbaijani exclave
of Nakhchivan where Azerbaijani and Turkish exercised in July, the
ICG said.

“A subsequent firefight produced casualties, and Armenia staged its
own war games near the Azerbaijan border in September. Vigorous
international engagement is needed to lessen chances of violent
escalation during coming weeks and months.”

On November 6, the two sides have finally agreed to hold talks after
diplomatic efforts by the United States, Russia and France, but the
dispute remains a key flashpoint in the region.

“Moody’s says that constraints on the rating include the very low
institutional strength, limited credibility and effectiveness of
government policies, sustained geopolitical tensions with neighboring
Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as
rising risks from strong credit growth in the context of a generally
weak banking system.”

ARMENIA PM: AZERBAIJAN USES NAGORNO-KARABAKH AIRPORT ISSUE AS “POLITICAL GAMBLING” TOOL

Interfax, Russia
Nov 14 2013

YEREVAN. Nov 14

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has accused Azerbaijan of using
Armenia’s planned reopening of the airport of the Nagorno-Karabakh
capital Stepanakert as a source of “political gambling.”

“It is important that the issue of reopening the airport in Stepanakert
shouldn’t pass into the field of political gambling, something that
Azerbaijan is doing quite aggressively today. We are planning to
achieve this purpose [putting the airport back into use] without
causing tensions,” Sargsyan said in answering questions from lawmakers.

Stepanakert airport, built in 1974, hasn’t been used for civilian
flights since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out in 1991 but
was used by military aircraft during its military period in 1991-1994.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in January this year that
the airport would reopen soon, and that “there are no problems”
to preclude this.

In March 2011, he had said he was going to be the first passenger on
the Stepanakert-Yerevan route after the reopening of the airport. “I
will become the first passenger on that route as president of the
Republic of Armenia,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Azeri government said it would qualify Armenian civilian
flights to Nagorno-Karabakh as invasion of Azeri air space.

HUNDREDS MARCH TO PROTEST LAUNCH OF MANDATORY PENSION SYSTEM – PHOTOS

Narek Aleksanyan

16:24, November 15, 2013

A few hundred people marched to the National Assembly today to voice
their opposition to a new mandatory funded pension system set to
begin as of January 1, 2014.

Inside the parliament, a special hearing was planned to debate an
opposition proposal to postpone the start of the system by one year.

Under the plan, those born after 1974 will have to contribute from
6.6-13% of their wages into the system.

The hearing, however, never took place as ruling coalition MPs never
showed up.

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.