Author: Kajoyan Gevork

FRENCH UNIVERSITY OF WINES SUZE LA ROUSSE MAY OPEN REPRESENTATION IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, October 3. / ARKA /. The French University of Wines Suze
la Rousse may open a representation in Armenia, Mekhak Apresian,
head of an economy ministry’s department dealing with tourism and
regional development, said today.

He said a delegation led by the University director Rene Payan is
visiting Armenia and is expected to discuss with Armenian authorities
forms of cooperation.

The French delegation was to meet today with the leadership of the
Agrarian University of Armenia to look into chances of establishing
cooperation in the field of training and retraining of viticulture
specialists, also sommeliers and other specialists in the field.

The delegation of the French university has arrived in Armenia to
participate in the fifth traditional festival of wine, which will
be held October 4-6 in three communities of Armenia – Rind, Areni
and Yeghegnadzor.

Apart from being a showcase for great wine, the festival is a major
event for traditional food making and tasting. The event program
includes traditional dancing, singing, food-making and tasting,
wine-making and tasting, traditional games, and contests and so on.

.-0-

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ARMENIAN WINES DEMONSTRATE QUITE GOOD QUALITY: FRENCH EXPERT

YEREVAN, October 3. /ARKA/. Armenian wines demonstrate quite good
quality, director of the University of Suze La Rousse, France, Rene
Payan told a press conference in Yerevan Thursday.

“Armenian wines are not only of good quality, but are quite special
due being blended from grapes different varieties available in the
country, and because of landscape and climate variety”, Payan said.

According to the international expert, the variety of Armenian wines
deserves being presented in wine shops all over the world.

Payan said local wine makers should pay attention not only to quality
of the wine, but also to the standard of the technologies used in
production, adequate marketing and promotion.

“If France is one of the biggest wine producers today, then Armenia
is the cradle of winemaking and it should restore the traditions,
re-establish its image and take its rightful place on the global
viniculture map”, she said.

It took France some 300 years to do it, but Armenia, if managed
skillfully, can achieve similar results by 2020, Payan said.

According to recent archaeological studies Armenia is one of global
viniculture cradles. In particular, evidences of ancient wine-making
were found in the territory of Areni cave area. Chemical analysis of
the traces found on several clay crocks confirmed the dwellers were
really engaged in winemaking in 4000 BC. Archeologists have also found
press remnants, wine jugs and “waste products”. -0– – See more at:

HRAPARAK: MINISTER LIED WITHOUT BLINKING AN EYE

Thursday,
October
03

‘Hraparak’ paper writes that an important event took place in Armenia’s
National Assembly yesterday – Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs
Yuri Vardanian visited the parliament.

“The legend behaved like a classic Armenian official. He lied without
blinking an eye. He declared that he was absent from the ‘government
hour’ in the parliament only twice. Yet during the Q&A session,
Yiri Vardanian said he was present at a parliamentary sitting for
the first time,” the paper says.

TODAY, 11:21

Aysor.am

ART OR SQUANDER?: COST OF ONE-SINGER INDEPENDENCE DAY CONCERT SPARKS CONTROVERSY IN ARMENIA

SOCIETY | 03.10.13 | 12:23

Photo:

By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Armenians have once again been angered by the way the government
spends public money. This time around the cause of the complaints
is the solo concert in Yerevan’s Republic Square by singer Nune
Yesayan on September 21, the day that marked the 22nd anniversary
of Independence. Many believe that state funds could have been spent
more wisely and effectively on that day.

It transpired this week that the organization of the concert attended
by the entire leadership of the country cost the taxpayer nearly 55
million drams (about $135,000) allocated from the reserve government
funds. The sum was provided to the Ministry of Culture, which, in
turn, transferred it to the Nune Yesayan Charitable NGO. This expense
was formulated in the budget as a donation, with Minister of Culture
Hasmik Poghosyan in charge of the activities. The government justified
the cost by “raising civil society and information awareness in arts”.

For several days this “donation” has been a matter of debate on online
social networking sites in Armenia, with most Facebook users leveling
harsh criticism at the government over what they believe was unfair
and unwise spending. Many people believe that in a country that has a
poverty level above 35 percent paying more than $100,000 to a singer
is just a mockery of the people.

Some say the money could have been spent on purchasing homes for
several homeless families or invested into the development of villages
situated along the borders that people abandon because of unfavorable
social conditions. Even bloggers usually supportive of the government
have pronounced negatively on the matter. Tigran Kocharyan, for
example, wrote with sarcasm: “Who shot at Nune [Yesayan] that she
was given 54 million drams?” (A reference to the 20-million-dram
compensation for medical needs paid from the state’s coffers to
former presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan who was shot and
wounded during the election campaign earlier this year).

This is not the first time the public voices dissatisfaction with
government spending. Similar discontent was caused by last year’s
celebration dedicated to Yerevan’s anniversary for which a number of
“posh” Russian showbiz stars had been invited. The purchase of costly
public bio toilets also became a subject of discussions. In turned
out last month that the two toilets that cost the taxpayer more than
$150,000 each were not in working order.

Nune Yesayan herself refused to give any comments on the financial
aspects of the Independence Day concert. She told the local news
website, News.am, that she was offended by the media and had nothing
to say in that regard. The deserved artist only said she was doing her
job and advised that people discuss her concert [rather than money]
that she herself suggested was a significant one.

Sociologist Aharon Adibekyan thinks that people’s dissatisfaction is
more connected with the substantial part of the concert rather than
its financial aspect.

“If that money were to be distributed among those attending the
concert, each would get very little of it, and so it’s not about
money. This was a festival, a concert that is held every year. One
can be critical of the contents, perhaps the fact that it was a solo
concert, especially that most of the money is spent on installation
and assembling works, technical matters. If there had been a more
interesting, more festive event, perhaps it would not have caused so
much discontent,” said the sociologist.

Vahan Tumasyan, head of the Shirak Center NGO dealing with matters
of homeless people and promoting charity in the Shirak province, says
that even if there were no problems with the consequences of the 1988
earthquake in Armenia, with the level of poverty like today’s such
squander of government funds should not have been allowed.

“The problem in general is that the link between the government and
the people is missing. The authorities are isolated and are more
preoccupied with creating corresponding conditions for their close
surroundings,” says Tumasyan.

REVUE DE PRESSE N2 – 02/10/13 – COLLECTIF VAN

Publie le : 02-10-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN [Vigilance
Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] vous propose une revue de presse
des informations parues dans la presse francophone, sur les thèmes
concernant la Turquie, le genocide armenien, la Shoah, le genocide
des Tutsi, le Darfour, le negationnisme, l’Union europeenne, Chypre,
etc… Nous vous suggerons egalement de prendre le temps de lire ou
de relire les informations et traductions mises en ligne dans notre
rubrique Par
ailleurs, certains articles en anglais, allemand, turc, etc, ne sont
disponibles que dans la newsletter Word que nous generons chaque jour.

Pour la recevoir, abonnez-vous a la Veille-Media : c’est gratuit !

Vous recevrez le document du lundi au vendredi dans votre boîte email.

Bonne lecture.

Collectif VAN : l’ephemeride du 2 octobre Info Collectif VAN –
– La rubrique Ephemeride est a retrouver
quotidiennement sur le site du Collectif VAN. Elle recense la
liste d’evenements survenus a une date donnee, a differentes
epoques de l’Histoire, sur les thematiques que l’association suit au
quotidien. L’ephemeride du Collectif VAN repose sur des informations
en ligne sur de nombreux sites (les sources sont specifiees sous
chaque entree). “2 octobre 1941 — La Gestapo organise un attentat
contre plusieurs synagogues de Paris/L’elimination physique s’etend
au cours de l’automne 1941 aux Juifs allemands puis a ceux de toute
l’Europe occupee. C’est le passage decisif d’un judeocide jusque la
localise en URSS a un genocide industriel planifie de l’ensemble
du peuple juif et mis en ~uvre dans toute l’Europe occupee. Le 2
octobre, Heydrich laisse dynamiter six synagogues de Paris par les
collaborationnistes doriotistes du PPF, avec des explosifs fournis
par ses services, afin de bien montrer que la France ne sera plus
jamais ” la citadelle europeenne des Juifs ” et que ceux-ci doivent
craindre pour leur vie partout en Europe occupee. Le 23 octobre,
Himmler interdit officiellement l’emigration des Juifs. Ne reste donc
plus ouverte que l’option de l’extermination.”

Un lobby ” chretiens d’Orient ” met la pression sur la France et l’UE
” Nous avons toujours rappele la solidarite de la France avec toutes
les communautes en Syrie et dans les autres pays de la region “, a
affirme M. Lalliot, qui a precise que le respect de ces communautes
est ” un engagement de l’opposition syrienne que nous soutenons;
l’opposition moderee qui comprend d’ailleurs des chretiens et non
pas les jihadistes et autres terroristes “.

Non a la chasse aux Rroms, non au racisme d’Etat, pour l’egalite des
droits Depuis le tristement celèbre discours prononce par Nicolas
Sarkozy le 30 juillet 2010 a Grenoble, la politique de discrimination
et d’expulsion menee contre nos concitoyens Rroms roumains et bulgares
a pris des proportions aussi inquietantes qu’inadmissibles. Or,
suite a l’election de Francois Hollande le 6 mai 2012, Manuel Valls
n’a fait que poursuivre et meme durcir cette chasse a l’homme. Les
Rroms n’auraient pas ” vocation ” a resider en France.

L’islamophobie, un nouveau racisme ?

Dans un chat sur LeMonde.fr, Stephanie Le Bars, journaliste au Monde,
estime que les discriminations relevant de differentes formes
de racisme “coexistent et s’imbriquent meme parfois de manière
difficilement discernable”.

Enfin un outil pour enseigner la Shoah aux plus jeunes Ce mercredi
2 octobre, sera officiellement lancee la diffusion d’un nouvel
outil pedagogique, destine a transmettre aux elèves de 10 a 13 ans
l’histoire de la Shoah : le livre “Sophie, l’enfant cachee”, redige
sous la houlette du Centre communautaire laïc juif (CCLJ).

Rencontre avec les deux auteures, Veronique Ruff et Florence Caulier.

Turquie : voile, droits des Kurdes… le “plan de democratisation”
d’Erdogan fait polemique Le Premier ministre a egalement promis que
l’enseignement dans des langues autres que le turc serait autorise
dans les ecoles privees. M.

Erdogan a qualifie son plan d'”historique”, mais il n’est pas tout
a fait a la hauteur des attentes des Kurdes qui reclament egalement
l’inscription dans la loi du droit a un enseignement dans sa langue
maternelle dans les ecoles publiques et une mention explicite de leur
identite dans la Constitution turque.

Article du journal franco-turc Zaman – 02/10/2013 – 1 Le Collectif
VAN relaye ici les articles du journal franco-turc Zaman (equivalent
du Today’s Zaman en langue anglaise, diffuse en Turquie).

Attention : ces articles ne sont pas commentes de notre part. Il s’agit
pour l’essentiel de traductions des versions turque et anglaise du
Zaman, journal proche du parti au pouvoir (AKP). “L’une des mesures
fortes annoncees par le Premier ministre turc est la reforme du système
electoral. Pour Seyfettin Gursel, directeur de Centre de recherche
economique et sociale de l’Universite de Bahcesehir, trois options
se profilent, mais une seule semble probable, celle de l’abaissement
du seuil electoral a 5 %, dans laquelle l’AKP sortirait gagnant.”

Raqqa manifeste son soutien aux chretiens Les chretiens syriens
continuent d’etre l’objet de propagande pour gagner le c~ur des
opinions occidentales. Le president de la Syrie Bachar El-Assad
poursuit ainsi son offensive de communication par un entretien qu’il
a donne a la Rai (television italienne) le 29 septembre. L’occasion
pour lui d’affirmer sa vision d’un conflit binaire entre son “regime
laïc” et une opposition reduite a des “terroristes”.

Antisemitisme : la Licra attaque cinq livres La Ligue internationale
contre le racisme et l’antisemitisme (Licra) a demande le 27 septembre
le retrait de passages qu’elle juge antisemites dans cinq livres
datant du XIXe et XXe siècle, reedites par Alain Soral, devant le
tribunal de Bobigny.

Aube doree, ou comment les neonazis grecs se sont casse les dents
sur la democratie Parti politique ou “organisation criminelle” ? Les
juges grecs devront trancher sur la nature meme d’Aube doree. Arretes
pendant le week-end, une vingtaine de membres du parti xenophobe grec
vont etre presentes aux juges mardi 1er et mercredi 2 octobre. Parmi
eux : six deputes, ainsi que le dirigeant de la formation, Nikos
Michaloliakos. Entre au Parlement en juin 2012, ce parti d’extreme
droite est accuse d’etre implique dans de nombreuses exactions a
l’encontre d’immigres, ainsi que dans le meurtre, le 18 septembre,
d’un rappeur et militant antiraciste grec, Pavlos Fyssas

Retour a la rubrique

CONDAMNES POUR POLITESSE ENVERS OCALAN, DES KURDES OBTIENNENT GAIN DE CAUSE A STRASBOURG

Turquie-Kurdes-Europe-droitsHomme-procès

(AFP) – Dix-neuf Kurdes, condamnes par la justice turque pour avoir
appele le chef rebelle kurde Abdullah Ocalan “Monsieur Ocalan”,
ont obtenu gain de cause mardi devant la Cour europeenne des droits
de l’homme (CEDH), qui a conclu a une violation de leur liberte
d’expression.

Les requerants avaient ete condamnes en novembre 2008 par un tribunal
correctionnel turc a près de 700 euros d’amende pour “eloge d’un crime
et d’un criminel”. Il leur etait reproche d’avoir adresse a la justice
une petition dans laquelle ils revendiquaient leur droit a utiliser
le terme respectueux “sayin” (qui signifie “Monsieur”, ou “honorable”,
“estime”) pour designer Abdullah Ocalan.

Les petitionnaires avaient explique qu’ils entendaient attirer
l’attention sur la situation des personnes qui risquaient d’etre
punies pour avoir employe ce terme.

Trois ans auparavant, en 2005, un leader du principal parti pro-Kurde,
le DEHAP, avait ainsi ete condamne a dix mois de prison pour avoir
lui aussi evoque publiquement “sayin Ocalan”.

Concernant les condamnations de 2008, les juges de Strasbourg ont
estime que la liberte d’expression devait etre respectee y compris
pour les idees “qui heurtent, choquent ou inquiètent”. “Ainsi le
veulent le pluralisme, la tolerance et l’esprit d’ouverture, sans
lesquels il n’est pas de societe democratique”, ont-ils souligne.

La CEDH a observe que “les requerants n’apparaissent aucunement avoir
manifeste un quelconque soutien aux actes commis par Abdullah Ocalan
ou le PKK ou une quelconque approbation a cet egard”.

Elle a donc conclu que l’ingerence dans la liberte d’expression des
requerants n’etait “pas necessaire dans une societe democratique”,
et leur a accorde a chacun 640 euros au titre de l’amende dont ils
dont dû s’acquitter, plus 2.500 euros au tire du prejudice moral.

Cet arret n’est pas definitif. Les autorites turques ont trois mois
pour demander un nouvel examen de cette affaire, ce que la Cour
europeenne n’est toutefois pas tenue de leur accorder.

jeudi 3 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

LA COUR REJETTE LA PLAINTE CONTRE LA HAUSSE DES TARIFS DES BUS

Justice

Le tribunal administratif a rejete une plainte de l’opposition
contestant la legalite de la decision controversee du maire d’Erevan,
Taron Markarian, d’augmenter fortement le coût du transport public.

L’augmentation de plus de 50% du tarif des bus et minibus a suscite
des manifestations dans la rue. La decision a ete suspendue une
semaine après l’annonce de Markarian, au debut de juillet.

Le bloc d’opposition d’Erevan lie au parti de Raffi Hovannisian
a ensuite demande au tribunal administratif de declarer la mesure
impopulaire illegale. Le bloc represente a l’assemblee municipale
a affirme que le maire n’avait pas le droit d’augmenter ses tarifs
partout dans la ville.

Il a egalement fait valoir que la decision concernant les tarifs a
commence a etre appliquee plusieurs jours avant d’etre rendu public
ce qui constitue, selon lui, une violation grave de la loi armenienne.

Le tribunal administratif a rejete ces arguments, en expliquant que
l’administration municipale n’a enfreint aucune loi. Les representants
de l’opposition ont clame qu’ils vont defendre leur cause devant la
Cour d’appel.

L’un d’eux, Stepan Safarian, a accuse la Cour administrative d’agir
sur ordre du gouvernement : ” Ce verdict temoigne d’une chose :
la justice en Armenie est morte “.

jeudi 3 octobre 2013, Claire ©armenews.com

FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTE CONFERENCE STARTS IN YEREVAN

October 2, 2013 – 17:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Financial Ombudsman Institute: Increasing Public
Confidence and Enhancing Financial Mediation annual conference kicked
off October 2 in Yerevan.

Representatives of the financial rights protection sector from UK,
Switzerland, Ireland, UAE, India, Russia, Kazakhstan and Georgia
attended the event along with representatives of Armenian banks,
insurance companies and law enforcement bodies. The event participants
will discuss mechanisms for protestation of the Ombudsman-passed
decisions and consumer protection rights.

The Office of the Financial System Mediator is an independently-managed
institution founded by the Central Bank of Armenia. The mission of
the Office of the Mediator is to resolve pecuniary disputes between
individual consumers and financial organizations. The Mediator’s
services are free of charge. The complaint review process is simple,
swift, and transparent.

The Financial System Mediator pursues the following objectives:
protection of the rights and interests of consumers in the financial
sector; swift, effective, and free-of-charge review of consumer claims;
enhancing public confidence in the financial system.

According to an official report, 1298 consumer claims were submitted
to the Ombudsman’s office in Q1-3 2013, with relevant consultations
provided.

AMD 130 million was refunded to the citizens by financial organizations
through the mediation of the Financial Ombudsman’s Office.

According to the head of the Financial Ombudsman’s Office Piruz
Sargsyan, the Office continues work to increase awareness of the
structure’s activity and the consumers’ rights in Armenian regions.

As she noted, visits to Russia, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina
were organized in 2012 jointly with the World Bank experts to share
Armenia’s expertise in the work of the Financial Ombudsman Office.

Also, the Office shared its experience at the G20 summit, along with
the World Bank experts and UK Ombudsman.

NIKOL PASHINYAN PHOTOGRAPHED HIS BALLOT. WHO ARE THE OTHER TWO?

Country – Wednesday, 02 October 2013, 12:12

1 / 2

As is known, yesterday the National Assembly voted 103 to 3 for
Gevorg Kostanyan’s nomination. Although two parliamentary groups,
the ANC and Heritage, announced to vote against his nomination, only
3 against votes were registered. The voting was followed by a heated
discussion on which 3 of the 8 members of parliament voted against
the nomination. Nikol Pashinyan had taken a picture of his ballot
which he posted on the internet and left a message: “I predicted such
developments so I took a photo of my ballot. In fact, I was right.”

WHY DO PEOPLE EMIGRATE FROM ARMENIA?

October 2 2013

Or causes of pilgrimage syndrome Today, the “Public Progress” civil
initiative is organizing a conference on “Migration Psychology:
Migrant’s Life with a Lowered Social Status” in Marriott Hotel. Its
aim is to raise the causes of irrational behavior formed with the
level of satisfaction of the needs of the society, and the relation
of generalized inflated expectations and individual psychology. It is
expected to conduct a situational analysis of segments of society,
and to identify the causes of migration and ruling stereotypes. It
is expected to clarify the issue of the role and objectives of the
non-state sector. During the conference, among other interesting
speeches, speeches of the following topics will also be presented:
“Description and analysis of contemporary migration flows in Armenia”,
“Impact of Migration on Human Needs,” “Irrational behavior of
psychology of an individual”, “Connection between migration procedure
and social status,” “Migration flows as a factor in foreign policy.”

Conference moderator was Director of “Tsaghkunk Open School Foundation”
Tigran Hakobyan (photo). Pursuant to Mr. Hakobyan, many people think
that the immigration problem and the solution is simple, to create
jobs, provide training of the staff and to protect their rights,
while the reality is different. “Businesses are complaining about
lack of staff, staff is complaining about the lack of jobs.

Regardless of the shortcomings of the educational system, even the
unique best students remain unemployed. We have the “Luys” foundation,
but we don’t see the children of this foundation neither in private,
nor especially in public sector. We record achievements in the
information technology, however, exploitation of our human capital
in other areas is failed. In addition, I also do not mention the
problem of decrease in consumption markets due to emigration, with
which business entities of almost all areas are related to it in this
or that way. When we try to identify the main causes of migration, we
encounter to one common motive, the lack of a sense of justice. Here,
we come to another contradiction: people usually migrate to those
countries, where the justice at all levels is lower than in Armenia.

Moreover, for example, the rate of level of crimes in Armenia is
significantly lower than in those countries, which gives us reason
to think that the real motive for migration is not the aspiration
of providing security of an individual or family,” said Tigran
Hakobyan in the interview with “Aravot”. According to Director of
“Tsaghkunk Open School” foundation, there is also an opinion that
the factor of irrationalism in making decision to emigrate is big,
people while making a decision are not guided by sound logic. “We
need to understand what aspires our compatriots to leave their house
and make a pilgrimage. These are issues that require in-depth and
comprehensive scientific analysis. Many people are looking for the
solution in public administration reforms, or rather, in strengthening
the role of the state, which itself is a manifestation of socialism,
that is, a society, of which we have rejected. I believe that the free
market can offer solutions in this field, at the same time, I do not
deny the need for reforms of the public administration system. The
conference is the first step to finding solutions.” Tigran Hakobyan is
convinced that voicing political assessments, insults or accusations in
the conference will not bring benefit to anyone. In his words, it is
necessary to listen to reasoned scientific presentations during the
conference, which will help to find the answer to the problem. In
addition, during today’s conference, Samvel Manukyan (“IPSC” –
Institute for Political and Sociological Consulting) will present a
study on the topic “The migration management factors in Armenia”.

According to the study, the reasons for immigration, socio-economic
reasons (82.4%), psychosocial (45.0%), family unit (7.0%), and
especially 18-45 year-olds tend more to emigrate.

Gohar HAKOBYAN

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