Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN PM DEMANDED TO PUNISH UNFINISHED CONSTRUCTION RESPONSIBLE

13:08, 17 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS: The Government of the Republic
of Armenia will not remain indifferent to the unfinished buildings
provided to the private sector for construction.

Armenpress reports that at the session of the Government the Prime
Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan stated about it. “There are
buildings, which have been under construction for more than 10
years. We cannot watch indifferently how they decay. We need to make
decisions what to do if the private sector took the responsibility
to finish the construction but does not do it, thus causing numerous
public problems”, – said the Prime Minister.

The Head of the Government of Armenia instructed the Minister of
Urban Development of the Republic of Armenia Samvel Tadevosyan to
discuss these issues and offer corresponding solutions.

One of the unfinished buildings, which the public is much interested
in, is the Dvin Hotel.

TURKISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WILL BE CALLED ON THE FIRST GENOCIDE OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE CONTINUED OCCUPATION OF WESTERN ARMENIA AND OVER 1/3 OF CYPRUS

by David Stepanyan

Thursday, October 17, 13:27

On Monday, October 21, Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey,
will speak to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council about Turkey’s
economic and foreign policy, including the US-Turkey business relations
and the future of economic investment in the region, Asbarez.com said.

A protest rally will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Century
City, where Babacan will be addressing the World Affairs Council.

Protest the Representative of the government responsible for the
first genocide of the 20th Century and the continued occupation of
Western Armenia and over 1/3 of Cyprus, the source reports.

Genocide of Armenians has been recognized by most of the United States
as well as by many countries, including Canada, Argentina, Switzerland,
Uruguay, Russia, Belgium, France, Poland, Slovakia, the Netherlands,
Greece, Cyprus, Vatican, Sweden, Lithuania.. The European Parliament
passed a resolution recognizing the fact of Armenian Genocide in the
Ottoman Turkey on June 18 1987 and demanded the Council of Europe
to exert pressure on Turkey in order that country recognizes the
Armenian Genocide. Turkey still denies the genocide of 1,5 million
Armenians in 1915-1923.

HRAPARAK: RUSSIA BANS TRANSFER OF NAIRIT PLANT TO ROSNEFT COMPANY

09:17 ~U 17.10.13

Igor Sechin, President, Chairman of the Management Board, Rosneft
Company, and Alexey Miller, Board Chairman, Gazprom Company, were to
arrive in Armenia on October 16.

The ArmRusgasprom CJSC prepared for a solemn reception, but the guests
never arrived.

According to the sources close to Russian financial circles, the
reason is the ban the Russian side imposed on the transfer of the
Armenia-based Nairit plant to the Rosneft company.

Armenian News – Tert.am

LEVON ARONYAN A GAGNE LA FINALE DES MAITRES DE BILBAO

ARMENIE

Le grand maître Armenien Levon Aronyan a fait un match nul avec l’azeri
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov dimanche lors de la dernière tournee du tournoi
du Grand Chelem a Bilbao et a donc remporte le tournoi avec 10 points.

jeudi 17 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

ARMENIAN NGOS NOTE “FORMAL” COMMITMENT OF AUTHORITIES TO OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE

Society | 16.10.13 | 12:41

>From left to right Varujan Hoktanyan, Ashot Meliqyan, Levon Barseghyan

By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

Representatives of non-governmental organizations who have carried
out the monitoring of the Open Government Partnership program believe
that Armenia has met the commitments undertaken as part of the program
mainly formally, while there are serious shortcomings in terms of
their application.

Armenia joined the Open Government Partnership initiative in September
2011. As many as 60 countries are members of this initiative that
seeks achieve improved governance based on active involvement of
civil society, as well as enhance public management efficiency through
increased level of transparency, mutual trust and accountability in
State-citizen relationship.

The initiative is coordinated by an intergovernmental committee
consisting of eight founding nations: the United States, Brazil,
Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa and the
United Kingdom.

Joining the initiative, Armenia assumed a number of obligations,
including the promotion of open governance through e-government,
revision of regulations (the Guillotine Program), improvement of
the public sector internal audit system, ensuring improved public
procurement procedures and budget planning and reporting systems,
promotion of access to information, promotion of transparency and
objectivity in public administration, fight against corruption, etc..

Armenia is now completing its first Action Plan and developing the
next for 2014-2016.

Varuzhan Hoktanyan, director of the Transparency International
Anti-Corruption Center, one of the NGOs that has conducted the
monitoring, said during a Tuesday meeting with reporters that the
government of Armenia has followed only one principles of open
government – it has increased the availability of new technologies,
ensuring accountability.

And Asparez Journalists’ Club president Levon Barseghyan said: “I
have the impression that the government is reluctant, it does not
have serious faith in the ideas that it has started realizing. Then
he added, however, that on a scale from zero to 10, where 10 is the
highest, he would evaluate the government’s work in the past two
years as 7 or 8.

The Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression (CPFE) has reviewed
three directions: transparency of declarations of property and income
by senior officials, standardization of contents on official websites
of government agencies, development of public officials’ knowledge
and skills on freedom of information.

CPFE head Ashot Melikyan said that the declarations of more than half
of high-ranking officials are absent from the websiteethics.am.

“Of the 131 members of the National Assembly only 42 have presented
declarations on the website. I would advise that journalists often
enter this website. It provides rich material for the preparation
of investigative articles,” said Melikyan, emphasizing that they
also consider the contents of the declarations, in particular the
extent to which they reflect the real size of officials’ property,
to be a serious problem.

With regard to the government’s official websites, according to the
CPFE studies, their average level of transparency is 42 percent.

Melikyan also said that officials’ knowledge on freedom of information
is “not so great”.

“We have sent 86 letters to various government agencies. Only in 31
cases we got responses that corresponded to the requirements of the
Freedom of Information Law,” said Melikyan.

Representatives of non-governmental organizations also voiced concerns
over the 2014-2016 Action Plan. They said that almost all of their
proposals had been rejected. Hoktanyan said he had the impression
that Armenia wants to focus only on deepening e-government.

NGOs are going to develop an alternative plan and submit it at the
upcoming summit, during which the next actions are endorsed.

MAYOR MARGARYAN: YEREVAN AND LYON HAVE SERIOUS POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP COOPERATION

October 16, 2013 | 10:47

Armenian capital city Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan, who is in France
on an official visit to attend the conference of the Armenian-French
Decentralized Cooperation, met with Mayor Gerard Collomb of the City
of Lyon.

Giving a high assessment to the present-day level of Armenian-French
relations, Collomb noted that the holding of the aforesaid conference
once again proves the importance of these relations.

He noted that the partnership ties between the communities of both
countries prove that Armenia and France are interested in the deepening
of ties between the two countries.

Collomb also stated that the partnership relations between Yerevan
and Lyon have great prospects for development and Lyon stands ready
to further deepen bilateral relations.

On his part, Mayor Taron Margaryan noted that Yerevan and Lyon have
a serious potential to develop their cooperation, and assured that
Yerevan Municipality likewise is interested in further deepening
the relations.

Margaryan once again extended his formal invitation to host Gerard
Collomb in Yerevan, to jointly celebrate the 20th anniversary of
friendship between the two cities.

MARIO BALOTELLI SAVES ITALY FROM A LOSS TO ARMENIA

Examiner.com
Oct 16 2013

October 15, 2013A goal by striker Mario Balotelli allowed Italy to tie
against Armenia in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday afternoon. The game
was hosted by Italy and the game ended in a tie with a score of 2-2.

It was reported on ESPN Deportes on Tuesday that Mario Balotelli and
the Italians, already established as the leaders of Group B of the
UEFA World Cup qualifiers, tied with Armenia, who is in second last
place in the same group.

The qualifier was the last game of group play for the UEFA sector
(Europe). Italy had its ticket to the 2014 World Cup already secured,
so this game was only a practice game.

The Armenians, already not eligible to qualify, played for pride and
prove just that against the Italians in Italy.

The Armenians always took the lead throughout the game. The first lead
came early at Yura Movsisyan scored in the 5th minute. The Italians
tied it in the 24th with a goal by midfielder Alessandro Florenzi.

The second lead for Armenia came in the 70th minute. The goal was
made by Henrik Mkhitaryan. The Italians were going to lose the last
game of group until Mario Balotelli was subbed into the game.

Balotelli was already in the game when Armenia scored the second goal,
and Mario responded six minutes later with his own goal. The game
ended in a tie, and Italy avoided a loss and ending with a bad note
right before the World Cup.

ARMENIA TO STRENGTHEN EU TIES

Baltic Times
Oct 16 2013

Oct 16, 2013
>From wire reports

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan plans to attend the third Eastern
Partnership Summit in Vilnius on Nov. 28-29, reports ELTA. Ambassador
extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to
Lithuania Ara Aivazyan confirmed this in his meeting with Lithuania’s
Deputy Parliament Speaker, Chair of the Seimas Committee on European
Affairs Gediminas Kirkilas.

During the meeting it was also said that Armenia would further
actively participate in the program of the Eastern Partnership
despite the statement by the Armenian president issued on Sept. 3
about Armenia’s intention to join the Customs Union, led by Russia,
and to participate in the development of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Until the Vilnius Summit, Armenia will seek to enhance the political
dialogue with the EU and its member states to promote mutual
understanding. In Vilnius, Armenia expects to sign a resolution to
establish the achievements of the country during the three years of
the negotiations over Association agreement.

ARMENIAN REFUGEE TO SPEAK AT MAYVILLE STATE

US Official News
October 14, 2013 Monday

Mayville

Mayville State University has issued the following news release:

Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte, an Armenian refugee from Baku Azerbajan,
will be at Mayville State University Thursday, October 3. Community
members are invited to attend an informal discussion with Anna from
9:30 to 10:45 a.m. in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room. Turcotte
will also be speaking with groups of Mayville State teacher education
students during the day. Her visit at Mayville State is sponsored by
the Mayville State University Diversity Committee and the Division
of Education and Psychology.

At 1:00 p.m. on October 3, Anna will be available at the Campus Center
snack bar to autograph copies of her book which will be for sale.

Anna’s book, which she wrote at the age of 14, “Nowhere, a Story of
Exile,” was published in 2012. It is based on the childhood diaries
she kept as a refugee from Baku, Azerbaijan.

After fleeing Baku, Anna and her family spent three difficult years
in Armenia before coming to the United States in 1992. Her family
settled in Wahpeton, N.D. Details of Anna’s life and experiences as
a young girl will interest anyone.

Anna has Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and literature and
philosophy and religion, along with a minor in Russian language and
literature from the University of North Dakota. She earned her Juris
Doctor degree from the University of Maine School of Law in Portland,
Maine. During law school, Anna was chosen U.S. Outstanding Law
Student of the Year by Who’s Who Among American Law Students. After
graduating from law school, Anna was one of the first legal clerks
at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands after
observing the ICC’s creation at the United Nations.

Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, International Criminal Court, and human
rights issues are Turcotte’sr lifelong passions. She always strives to
reach out to the needs of the people of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and
the Armenian Diaspora. Anna is the president of the Maine chapter of
Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief. Anna is committed to continuing
to write and lecture on topics that are dear to her heart. She works
in the financial risk and compliance division of a major international
bank and lives in Portland, Maine with her husband, John, and their
two children.

For more information please visit:

ABMDR NEW ENGLAND WALK OF LIFE BREAKS PARTICIPATION RECORD

Wednesday, October 16th, 2013

Alec Zareh Zarifian won the award for individually raising the most
funds independently

WATERTOWN-The New England Support Group of the Armenian Bone Marrow
Donor Registry (ABMDR) hosted its second annual Walk of Life on
Saturday, September 28 in Watertown, Massachusetts.

The event kicked off at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center
at 11 a.m., taking participants on a 2.2- mile route culminating
at Watertown’s annual “Faire on the Square.” Distinguished Reverend
Avedis Boynerian (of the Armenian Memorial Church) and Reverend Gregory
V. Haroutunian (of the First Armenian Church) offered a blessing at
the onset of the walk, and Jack Antounian, president of the Armenian
Business Network (ABN), officiated the event.

The walk attracted over 200 participants from a variety of age groups,
twice the number of walkers from the previous year. “We are so thankful
for the tremendous enthusiasm our community leaders demonstrated:
they stepped forward, set up teams, encouraged their constituents’
participation in the walk, and the results were fantastic,” said
ABMDR Board member Alvart Badalian.

Eighteen walking teams were formed by supportive individuals and
community organizations, including the Armenian Business Network,
ACYOA, AGBU Young Professionals Boston, Armenian Library and Museum
of America, Amaras Art Alliance, AYF Boston Nejdeh Chapter, Belmont
High School Armenian Club, Erebuni Armenian School, Hamazkayin Boston,
Homenetmen Boston, Team Hope, Lexington High School Armenian Club,
Team Namaste, Team Poreeg, Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston, St.

James Armenian Church, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School,
and Watertown High School Armenian Club.

“It was my honor to participate in this year’s Walk of Life Walkathon
– an event that brought out the best in our community,” Antounian
said. “My gratitude and special thanks to our local ABN members who
volunteered and marshaled the walkathon, and made sure it was a safe
and fun event for all who took part in this noble walk.”

“For the second year, the Boston-based Dana Farber Cancer Institute has
been our major sponsor and we thank this important establishment for
their help,” said Tamar Melkonian of the Walkathon Committee at the
closing ceremony. “We also thank our local supporters, the Doctors
Express for their donation, Arax Market for providing our walkers
with refreshing fruits, and, of course, a world of gratitude to the
Armenian Cultural and Educational Center for giving us a home base
to start our walk.”

The St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School team was awarded the
prize for most funds raised, while the Erebuni Armenian School won
the distinction of largest team. Alec Zareh Zarifian won the award
for individually raising the most funds independently. These winners
were each rewarded with a cluster of trees to be planted in Armenia
in their honor. This symbolic gift was a generous donation by the
Armenia Tree Project (armeniatree.org).

“We were humbled by the enthusiasm that the youngest in our community
showed towards this event and their desire to help those in need;
their participation was truly an inspiration,” said Badalian.

More than $14,000 was raised through the walkathon in support of
ABMDR’s life-saving work.

“Every step taken during the walkathon brings hope for a long-awaited
bone marrow match for a fellow Armenian struck with a life-threatening
disease like leukemia or other blood-related illness,” said Dr. Frieda
Jordan, president of ABMDR. “Since the unique genetic makeup of
Armenians makes it extremely difficult to find suitable bone marrow
matches among the existing international bone marrow donor registries,
ABMDR’s database serves as a vital resource when crisis strikes.”

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians
worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by
recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell
transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 24,000 donors
in 18 countries across four continents, identified 2,135 patients,
and facilitated 17 bone marrow transplants.